As China prepares for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 21st National Congress in 2027, the regime is set to launch a sweeping personnel review that insiders say will prioritize political loyalty to Chinese leader Xi Jinping over administrative performance.
Insiders within the CCP revealed to The Epoch Times that the reviews, scheduled to begin later this year, will assess senior officials’ adherence to what the CCP has recently branded as “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building,” signaling that ideological loyalty has become a central criterion for promotion ahead of the next leadership reshuffle. The insiders spoke on condition of anonymity or only publishing their surname out of fear of reprisal.
Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing newspaper Ming Pao reported on June 25 that the CCP Central Committee will dispatch 45 inspection teams in three rounds beginning in late July to evaluate officials across China’s 31 provincial-level administrations and 124 central Party and state institutions. The Central Military Commission (CMC) is also expected to send eight inspection teams to review senior military officers, suggesting that the personnel screening will encompass local governments, central regime agencies, and the military.
‘Cross-Checking Everyone’
A former official within the CCP told The Epoch Times that the inspections are designed to gather information from colleagues and subordinates about officials expected to remain in office, including their public conduct, family affairs, and private lives.
“In provinces where the Party secretary and governor have long been at odds, inspectors will ask people close to the Party secretary about the governor’s private life, then turn to the governor’s subordinates for information about the Party secretary,” he said. “They'll also ask people in the courts about the procuratorates, and vice versa. It’s essentially a process of cross-checking everyone.”
The former official pointed to the recent elevation of “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” as an indication that the inspections will focus on political loyalty to Xi and that Xi’s authority has been consolidated within the Party.
An insider with ties to the CCP’s Organization Department, which controls staffing positions within the Party, told The Epoch Times the new ideological framework has effectively been elevated to the same political status once held by Mao Zedong Thought, making loyalty to Xi the first consideration in evaluating officials.
“If you want a promotion, you have to carry this banner and demonstrate how loyal you are to Xi,” she said.
The insider added that some officials once believed personal loyalty could offset corruption allegations, but that calculation has changed.
“Now they have to think carefully about whose money they’re taking,” she said.
The campaign has gained momentum in recent weeks. On June 15, the CCP convened a national conference on Party-building work, according to the regime’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily. The term “Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building” was introduced publicly for the first time. Since then, state media have published a series of articles promoting the concept.
Wang, a U.S.-based China current affairs commentator, told The Epoch Times the regime’s messaging is establishing an official benchmark for personnel decisions.
“These inspections appear to be routine Party procedures, but in reality, they are a new round of political screening,” Wang said. “The repeated emphasis on thoroughly implementing Xi Jinping Thought on Party Building tells officials that appointments at the 21st National Congress will be made entirely according to Xi’s priorities. Those considered politically reliable will move onto the next leadership roster, while those viewed as less dependable will be left out.”
‘Damaging Allegations’
Zhou, an insider familiar with the PLA, told The Epoch Times that military officers undergoing review will be evaluated not only on their service records and possible corruption but also on whether they demonstrated sufficient political loyalty following the purge of senior military leader Zhang Youxia.
“Before the 21st National Congress, [the leadership] needs to finalize which officers will enter the Central Committee,” Zhou said. “Investigators will examine their performance over the past several years, whether they accepted bribes or bought promotions, and especially whether they responded appropriately to statements issued by the Central Military Commission after the Zhang Youxia incident.”
He added that many generals now fear being promoted into the Central Committee because higher visibility also brings greater political risk.
“Once [someone] becomes well known, it’s much easier for rivals to submit damaging allegations against them,” he said.
The CCP has carried out sweeping purges across the military in recent years, with senior figures from the Central Military Commission, the PLA Rocket Force, the military procurement system, and state-owned defense enterprises all falling under investigation.
Xi’s regime has repeatedly stressed that the military must remain absolutely loyal to the Party, underscoring his continued concern over control of the armed forces.
According to the insiders interviewed by The Epoch Times, the personnel screening ahead of the 21st National Congress is expected to be considerably more complex than the leadership reshuffle preceding the previous Party congress, with the political loyalty of senior civilian and military officials facing unprecedented scrutiny.
Xue Xiaoguang contributed to this report.
