China's top leaders have elevated General Zhang Shengmin, the only remaining general on the Central Military Commission, to the Politburo, the country's top governing body. This move comes as part of a broader effort to strengthen party discipline and anti-corruption measures. Zhang currently serves as vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and oversees internal discipline for the military. His promotion to the Politburo is seen as a significant development in the country's military and political landscape.
The Communist Party's four-day closed-door meeting, which concluded recently, saw top leaders deliberating on and adopting resolutions that will guide the party in the coming years. One of the key resolutions adopted was on strengthening self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption in the party. This move is seen as an effort by the party to extend its grip on power and address the increasingly arduous tasks facing it, including uniting and leading the people to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
The party's efforts to strengthen discipline and anti-corruption measures are not new, with President Xi Jinping championing anti-corruption since coming to power in 2012. However, analysts say the focus now also includes underperforming officials. The party has sustained a crackdown on officials for more than a decade, and the recent meeting saw party members reviewing earlier purges of top members and military officials, confirming the personnel changes.
The recent plenum meeting revealed wider-than-expected purges, according to analysis by Neil Thomas, a senior fellow at Asia Policy who studies Chinese politics. He calculated an attendance rate of 74 percent, the lowest since the times of former leader Mao Zedong, who ran political purges regularly. This development has sparked interest and speculation about the implications of these purges and the future of the party.
General Zhang Shengmin's promotion to the Politburo is significant, given the earlier purges of two of China's top generals, leaving him as the commission's only member besides Xi himself. It also left the Politburo without any representatives from the People's Liberation Army. Zhang's position overseeing internal discipline for the military makes him a key figure in the party's efforts to strengthen discipline and anti-corruption measures.
The party's resolution on strengthening self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption measures emphasizes the need for the party to maintain its progressive nature and purity, and its close, flesh-and-blood ties with the people. The party aims to enhance its long-term governance capacity and root out corruption. This move is seen as crucial in ensuring the party's continued grip on power and its ability to address the country's challenges.
The developments at the recent Communist Party meeting have significant implications for China's politics and military. With President Xi Jinping widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party's leader, the party's efforts to strengthen discipline and anti-corruption measures are likely to continue. The elevation of General Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo and the party's resolution on self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption measures are key developments in this context.
Key points
- China promotes military general to Politburo, amid efforts to strengthen party discipline and anti-corruption measures.
- The Communist Party adopts resolution to enhance self-governance, discipline, and anti-corruption measures.
- The developments have significant implications for China's politics and military, ahead of President Xi Jinping's expected fourth five-year term as party leader.
