China’s Leadership Restructuring: Politburo Elevation and Anti-Corruption Resolution

On Thursday, China’s leadership elevated the last remaining general of the commission overseeing the country’s military to the Politburo, the top governing body of the Communist Party. This move coincides with the adoption of a resolution focused on self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption measures, reinforcing the party’s continued grip on power.

During a four-day closed-door meeting, the upper echelons of the Communist Party discussed and endorsed resolutions that will steer the party in the coming years. This meeting occurs roughly a year before President Xi Jinping is anticipated to secure his fourth five-year term as the party’s leader.

General Zhang Shengmin, serving as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, was elected to the Politburo. Previously, Xi purged two of China’s high-ranking generals, leaving Zhang as the commission’s sole member aside from Xi himself. Notably, the Politburo now lacks representatives from the People’s Liberation Army.

In his role, Zhang oversees internal military discipline as deputy secretary of the CMC Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The party summarized the resolution, highlighting the increasing demands of uniting and guiding the people to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests. It emphasized enhancing self-governance, which involves eliminating corruption and maintaining ideological integrity. According to the official Xinhua News Agency, the aim is to bolster the party’s long-term governance capabilities and maintain its connection with the people.

Since ascending to power in 2012, Xi has prioritized anti-corruption and sustained a prolonged crackdown on officials for over a decade. Analysts observe that the focus now extends to addressing underperforming officials.

Party members also revisited prior purges of prominent party and military figures, affirming recent personnel changes. Analysis from Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy specializing in Chinese politics, notes larger-than-anticipated purges and calculates the lowest attendance rate since Mao Zedong’s era, who frequently conducted political purges.