China’s Communist Party will open a four-day meeting in Beijing on Oct. 26 to consider a self-governance document, as disciplinary authorities reported more than 1 million cases filed in 2025.
The fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee is set for Oct. 26-29. A Sept. 21 announcement said the committee would consider a draft decision to strengthen Party self-governance. An earlier version had been circulated for comments among Party members and people outside the Party. The announcement did not publish the text or describe specific rule changes.
At the fourth plenum in October 2025, the committee adopted recommendations for the 15th Five-Year Plan, covering 2026-30.
China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and National Supervisory Commission (NSC) said authorities filed 1.012 million cases in 2025. Authorities opened cases against 115 officials at provincial or ministerial level and above. A separate tally showed 983,000 people were disciplined, including 69 officials at those senior levels.
The Guardian reported that the investigations had prompted analysts to examine the relationship between Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping’s anti-corruption campaign and political loyalty. Kerry Brown, director of the Lau China Institute at King’s College London, told the newspaper Xi’s political outlook connects the two. “If you’re corrupt, you’re not politically loyal,” Brown said.
Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at the Asia Society, told The Guardian that Xi’s campaign had reduced corruption and strengthened his control, but had not resolved the problem of officials putting personal interests ahead of the Party.
In January, Xi warned that the fight against corruption remained “grave and complex,” called for firmer follow-through on central decisions and linked Party self-governance to the 15th Five-Year Plan. His remarks were covered in EconoTimes’ earlier report on party oversight and development goals. Deliberations are scheduled to run through Oct. 29.
