Announces continued "anti-corruption fight"; 33 executives will be punished; Party congress to be held in the second half of next year - Chinese Communist Party

[Beijing Current Affairs] The ``5th General Assembly of the 20th Central Committee'' of the Chinese Communist Party concluded on the 29th. Approved the ``Decision on the sustainable promotion of comprehensive and strict internal party governance.'' The communiqué released clearly stated that ``the party and corruption are incompatible,'' and announced the continuation of the anti-corruption fight. The party also announced sanctions against 33 party officials and decided to hold a party convention, which is held once every five years, in the second half of next year. This was reported by the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

The communiqué emphasized that anti-corruption is "an important measure for comprehensive and strict internal party governance and a basic policy of struggle." It said it would "maintain a strict stance against corruption" and strengthen its monitoring and supervisory system.

At next year's party convention, there will also be a change in party leadership. General Secretary Xi Jinping, who is almost certain to be elected for a fourth term, appears to be aiming to tighten up the party by strengthening discipline and increase its unifying force in the lead-up to the party congress.

Xi's leadership has been disposing of executives one after another for corruption and other charges. At the April 4th general meeting held in October last year, the party approved the stripping of party membership of 14 executives who were found to have violated discipline. At the 5th Plenary Session, the party approved the revocation of party membership against Ma Xingrui, former secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Party Committee, who served as a member of the Politburo next to the top leadership, and Zhang Mijia, a former vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, who was also a member of the Politburo and the head of the military uniform organization. The same punishment was also decided against Liu Jianchao, who was announced to have resigned from the party's Central External Liaison Department in September last year.

A total of 33 executives, including three, were announced to be punished at the 5th Annual General Meeting. Only 279 party central committee members and central candidate committee members attended the general meeting. When the current system was launched in 2022, there were 376 people, but this means that a large number of executives have disappeared over the past four years.

The General Assembly also decided to promote Zhang Shengmin, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, the military's highest leadership body, to a member of the Politburo.