CCP Prepares for Party’s Overdue 3rd Plenary Session After Xi’s Trip to Europe: Observers

High-profile CCP personnel issues at the upcoming 3rd plenary session remain the focus of the outside world.

Members of China's military at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on March 10, 2024. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

While the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Xi Jinping was visiting Europe earlier this week, most of the members of the Standing Committee of the CCP’s political bureau went to local areas for “research.” China observers believe these are preparations for the long overdue Third Plenary Session of the CCP.

Xi returned to Beijing on May 11 after touring France, Serbia, and Hungary since May 5.