The Fifth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee concluded and Zhang Shengmin, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, was elected as a member of the Politburo

The Fifth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee approved Zhang Shengmin (pictured), Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, as a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. (Picture taken from People's Liberation Army Daily)

The Fifth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee concluded in Beijing today, and the communiqué of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee was released in the evening. This meeting reviewed and approved the "Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Several Major Issues on Persistently Promoting Comprehensive and Strict Governance of the Party", elected Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission Zhang Shengmin as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and determined that the "21st Party Congress" of the Communist Party of China will be held in Beijing in the second half of 2027.

According to the communiqué, the Fifth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China reviewed and approved the review report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC Central Committee on serious violations of discipline and law by Ma Xingrui, Lan Tianli, Liu Jianchao, Wang Lixia, Jin Zhuanglong, Lei Fanpei, Yi Huiman, Wang Xiangxi, Sun Shaocheng, Li Yunze, Fei Dongbin, Wu Shenghua, Yu Jianfeng, Yuan Jie, Zhang Zhongyang, Wen Gang, Jin Donghan, and Fang Hongwei.

The CCP reviewed and approved the CCP Military Commission’s review report on serious violations of discipline and law by Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, Wang Renhua, Liu Qingsong, Huang Ming, Li Qiaoming, Li Wei, Zhang Hongbing, Wang Haijiang, Zhang Lin, Wang Peng, Liu Faqing, Yang Cheng, Zhong Shaojun, Zhao Xiaozhe, and Fang Yongxiang.

It also confirmed the previous sanctions made by the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to expel Ma Xingrui, Zhang Youxia, Liu Zhenli, Lan Tianli, Liu Jianchao, Wang Lixia, Jin Zhuanglong, Lei Fanpei, Yi Huiman, Wang Xiangxi, Sun Shaocheng, Wang Renhua and others from the party, and gave Li Yunze the sanction to revoke his party position.

In accordance with the provisions of the CPC Constitution, the plenary session decided to replace alternate members of the Central Committee Lu Dongliang, Bao Gang, Xing Shanping, Qu Yingpu, Lu Jun, Zhu Tianshu, Zhu Guoxian, Liu Jun, Liu Jie and Liu Qiang as members of the Central Committee.

The plenary session also called for the Communist Party of China to unite more closely around the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, fully implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, work hard and work hard to persevere in advancing "comprehensive and strict governance of the Party", and strive unremittingly to comprehensively promote "the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation" with Chinese-style modernization.

In addition, the "Observation of the Fifth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" was held today at the Taipei University of Marine Science and Technology. Wang Zhanxi, an associate researcher at the Institute of National Security of the National Defense Academy, said that the Fifth Plenary Session revealed that "comprehensive and strict governance of the party" is the backbone of Xi Jinping's continued power. The People's Daily interpreted it as a "new Long March", demonstrating Xi Jinping's political intention to further improve his historical position.

Hong Yaonan, director of the Cross-Strait Relations Research Center at Tamkang University, said that only Xi Jinping and Zhang Shengmin are left in the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, but Beijing has been slow to replace them. Hong Yaonan believes that this is not because he can't find someone, but because of the implementation of the Chairman's Responsibility System of the Military Commission. The Military Commission has changed from a collective leadership body to a chairman making the final decision. In essence, it is already a Chairman system.