As Military Purges Deepen, CCP’s Fourth Plenum to Test Xi Jinping’s Grip on Power: Analysts

Political observers say personnel changes and questions about Xi Jinping’s authority will dominate Fourth Plenum closed-door discussions this week.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping (center) is applauded as he arrives at the closing session of the National Peoples Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 11, 2024. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

In the latest shake-up within China’s top leadership, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) announced on Oct. 16 the expulsion of nine senior military officers, including one of the two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and a member of the CCP’s powerful Politburo.

The announcement was made days before the CCP’s Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee, scheduled for Oct. 20–23 in Beijing. The timing and scale of the shake-up have fueled speculation that the CCP’s political system may be entering a period of dramatic change.