Key CPC meet begins; Xi’s powers likely to be strengthened

TIL Desk/World/Beijing-China’s ruling Communist Party today began its key four-day meet here amid speculation that it may amend an over three decades-long rule on collective leadership to strengthen the powers of President Xi Jinping who is being projected as a strong leader like party founder Mao Zedong.

The sixth plenary meeting, from October 24-27, is being attended by roughly 370 full-time and alternate members of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). The meeting of the plenum would discuss all major issues regarding strict party governance and documents on intra-party supervision and political life within the party.  Media has been kept out of the meeting being held at a hotel here under heavy security.

The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau headed by Xi which took over power in November will submit a work report to the meeting. The plenary comes also as a run up to the next year’s party congress during which five of the seven members of CPC Standing Committee headed by Xi which virtually rules the country would be replaced if the party rule of 68 years retirement age is not amended for their continuation.