Summit of political elite opens in China as Xi eyes extraordinary third term

A meeting of hundreds of members of China’s political elite, which is expected to pave the way for Xi Jinping to consolidate power with an extraordinary third term as president, has opened in Beijing. The four-day, closed-door meeting of the ruling Chinese Communist party (CCP) central committee, known as the sixth plenum, is expected to produce a resolution on the history of the party, which analysts say will shape domestic politics and society for decades to come.

The sixth plenum is one of the last significant meetings in China’s five-year political cycle, and sets the stage for next year’s party congress, where Xi is expected to seek a third term as leader of the CCP after having previously abolished term limits in 2018.

The agenda of the meeting is top secret, with a communique of discussions and resolutions to be released after it has finished. At the 2016 plenum, the CCP bestowed the title of “core” leader on Xi, putting him on par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping but also emphasising the importance of collective leadership.

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