The Fifth Plenary Session of the CPC Central Committee strengthens the fight against corruption and strictly investigates officials’ virtual currency and property

According to a latest intra-party document released by the Communist Party of China on the 1st, the Communist Party of China plans to further strengthen the supervision of cadres at all levels by closely reviewing officials’ personal assets and online activities.

Agence France-Presse reported that the document issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China was officially released by China's national news agency Xinhua News Agency after the conclusion of the annual plenary session (Fifth Plenary Session) held in Beijing. The core issues of this plenary session focus on intra-party governance and combating corruption.

Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, has been in power for more than ten years and has carried out a severe anti-corruption campaign, which not only implicated thousands of officials, but also purged dozens of powerful Central Committee members and a large number of senior military officials.

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" released on the 1st outlines the future policy direction of the CCP and strongly calls for stricter monitoring of officials. It states that "starting from senior cadres, we will strengthen all-round management and regular supervision of cadres and implement strict requirements throughout their careers."

"For officials whose family property and expenses far exceed their normal income, they will be reviewed and relevant verification work will be implemented." In the future, supervision of the commercial investments and business activities of officials' spouses and children will also be strengthened.

In addition, the "decision" also emphasized: "We will further regulate the online behavior of party members." In the future, we will also launch a severe crackdown on corruption crimes using virtual currencies and blockchain technology.

Chinese state media have confirmed that 33 high-level officials have been expelled from the party, including Zhang Youxia, a former member of the Politburo and once China's most senior general.

Supporters claim that China's anti-corruption purge campaign can promote clean governance; but political analysts believe that the real purpose of these measures is to pave the way for Xi Jinping to further extend his term at the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party of China (21st Congress) scheduled to be held in the second half of 2027.

The Central Committee's decision also called for "improving the effectiveness of intra-party democracy," advocating that more channels should be provided for party members to express their opinions and encourage them to "tell the truth." "We must uphold and improve the system of practicing intra-party democracy, respect the dominant status of party members, and protect their democratic rights."