A key body of the ruling Chinese Communist Party reaffirmed the “core” leadership of President Xi Jinping as the head of the party and the powerful military, as it ended its four-day meeting on Thursday. The meeting also backed a major purge of top military officials while endorsing a new 5-year plan to build a more resilient domestic market and achieve greater self-reliance to ward off the impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariff war and resultant global trade tensions. The 370-member strong body called the plenum, which met from Monday to Thursday, called on the party and country to unite behind Xi.
The 72-year-old leader is in his unprecedented third term in power, becoming the only Chinese leader after party founder Mao Zedong to do so. “At the session, a call was issued to the whole Party, the entire military, and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Xi at its core,” an official communique issued at the end of the meeting said.
“All of us in the Party must acquire a deep understanding of the decisive significance of establishing Comrade Xi Jinping’s core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and of establishing the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era,” it said.
The plenum also approved the sacking of number two general of the Chinese military, He Weidong, along with eight other top officials who were expelled from the military and party for corruption, violation of discipline and work-related crimes in the latest crackdown, an official statement said. The plenary meeting appointed Zhang Shengmin, the military’s anti-graft chief, as Gen He’s replacement. Zhang was promoted to the rank of Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the communique said.
Xi chairs the CMC, and Gen Zhang Youxia is serving as another vice-chairman of the body, it said. Gen He, along with CMC member Miao Hua, were expelled from the CPC and military service. Ahead of the plenary meeting, a spokesperson of the Chinese Defence Ministry, Col. Zhang Xiaogang, said besides the two top Generals, seven former senior military officials have also been expelled from the CPC and military.
