appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

liveArticle

appConfig

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sectionsV2

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

json

Nectar Gan

The opening in late October of the Chinese Communist Party’s key sixth plenum – or assembly meeting of all members – is the latest session of the Central Committee’s current tenure and signifies the start of Beijing’s five-yearly political reshuffle season, lasting until the 19th party congress late next year.
A series of personnel changes at the provincial level are already underway in the lead up to a major reshuffle at the apex of the party at the next party congress, which will see the replacement of five of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee.
The truth about Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel’s corridors of party power
At least once a year, about 370 members and alternates of the Central Committee meet in the military-run Jinxi Hotel, in Beijing – arguably the safest and most exclusive hotel in China – to discuss personnel appointments, state policies and party affairs.

Here we take a closer look at the background to these assembly meetings.
Key Communist Party plenum set for late October
What are these plenary sessions?
The plenums refer to the meetings attended by members of the CPC’s Central Committee, which exercises the power of the National Congress of the CPC. These sessions are held at least once a year until the convening of the next party congress. Conventionally, seven plenary sessions are held during the five-year tenure of each Central Committee.
Who are the participants?
Since they are plenary sessions, all members of the CPC’s Central Committee – including the 200-or-so full members and the several dozen alternative members – are supposed to be present.
As a result of President Xi Jinping’s sweeping anti-corruption crackdown, nine full members of the CPC’s Central Committee and 13 alternative members have been netted since the 18th party congress – exceeding the total number of downfalls of all the full and alternative members in the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Central Committees of the CPC.
Rising stars emerge in Communist Party reshuffle as Xi Jinping paves way for 2017 party congress
What are the general functions of each plenary session?
First Plenum
Held right after the end of the five-yearly full national congress, the newly elected Central Committee will in turn generate the 25-strong Politburo and the innermost Politburo Standing Committee members, which have seven people in the current session, including President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang.
Second Plenum
Proposes the list of candidates for the leadership personnel of the government and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, China’s top political advisory body for the National People’s Congress to ratify. Usually happens before the “two sessions” – the joint plenary meetings of the NPC and CPPCC.
Third Plenum
It was at the third plenum in 1978 that former leader Deng Xiaoping announced the Reform and Opening Up policy, which spearheaded major market-oriented reforms and opened China’s door to the outside world. Thereafter, subsequent party leaders’ first third plenum are usually viewed as the most important plenum where they would table their major political or economic reforms agenda.
Xinjiang Communist Party chief ‘on his way out’ as Beijing reshuffles top provincial jobs
Fourth Plenum
This discusses how to improve the CPC’s governing capacity. The last fourth plenum, held in October 2014, focused on the rule of law.
Fifth Plenum
Usually dedicated to discussions about the government’s five-year plans, to be finally approved at the next year’s national legislature plenary.
Sixth Plenum
Discusses improvements in the general morality of society and the CPC, in addition to cultural reforms. This is the most important plenary session in the run-up to the massive leadership reshuffle during the party congress in the autumn of the following year.
Seventh Plenum
Usually convenes shortly before the party’s national congress and discusses the draft Politburo’s work report to be presented at the congress.


Could hair or cosmetics be make-or-break factors for China’s would-be civil servants?

China must ‘strengthen education’ of Tibetan Buddhists, Beijing official says after tour

Why leading Chinese scientists are rising to the top in the Communist Party

Beijing’s 10-point plan sends strong signal to ordinary Taiwanese

China’s Communist Party

Time to shuffle the deck: season of political personnel changes in China’s Communist Party goes up a gear

Personnel changes are already underway at the provincial level of China’s Communist Party in the lead up to a major reshuffle at the apex of the party at the next party congress. Photo: Simon Song

People pass the street in front of the Jingxi Hotel (hotel is pictured at the background). Security measures have been enhanced round the Jingxi (Jing Xi) Hotel, where it is said the Seventh Plenary Session of the Seventeenth Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is held in Beijing. 01NOV12 Photo by Simon Song