Chinese Communist Party warns members not to criticise policy ahead of major economic policy meeting
- Warning ahead of third plenum is likely to tighten message discipline but analysts warn it may further damage international confidence
The Chinese Communist Party’s watchdog has issued a stern reminder to members not to criticise party policy ahead of a major party meeting that is likely to set the direction of economic policy for the next five years.
But analysts warned this effort to “unify thought”, to use the party’s own jargon, amid challenging economic conditions may further damage Beijing’s credibility and erode business confidence if it is seen as “unreasonably trying to control the storyline”.
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published a special report via state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday that warned against “openly speaking ill of the party on major issues” as part of the watchdog’s latest internal disciplinary drive.
The report said “public statements that contradict the decisions of the Central Committee are absolutely not allowed”.
It added that public comments that “irresponsibly discuss” the party’s main policies, “disrupt the thoughts” and undermine the unity of party members, warning that those who hinder policy execution must be “dealt with strictly”.
Explaining its rationale, the report said the party leadership “fully listened” to different voices before it made a decision, and once it had decided all party members “must resolutely implement” that policy.