20th Chinese Communist Party National Congress opens in Beijing

Asia-Pacific, News October 17, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 2,296 delegates arrived in Beijing to participate in the 20th Communist Party Congress that opened on October 16, 2022. The congress would continue until October 22, 2022.

A week-long Communist Party Congress is held every five years to appoint the CCP’s top leadership, make amendments to the constitution and approve the next five-year policy plan. This year’s congress is the 20th since the party was founded in 1921. The current congress is particularly significant as it is expected to cement President Xi Jinping’s third term as the party leader.

Xi Jinping holds two key titles, General Secretary of the CPP and the President of the People’s Republic of China. By the end of the 20th congress, he is widely expected to retain his title of Party’s General Secretary for the third time in a row. Breaking the norm of its predecessors, Hu Jintao and Jiang Zemin, each of whom gave up the post after serving two full five-year terms. Xi is also expected to extend his presidency during the annual meeting of China’s National People’s Congress in March of next year.

Over the course of one week, the 20th CPC National Congress would focus on five key agendas enlisted as below.

– To hear and examine the report of the 19th CPC Central Committee

– To examine the work report from the 19th CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection

– To approve amendments to the CPC Constitution

– To elect the 20th CPC Central Committee

– To elect the 20th CPC Central Committee for Discipline Inspection

President Xi Jinping opened the 20th CPC National Congress with a report on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee at the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing. During his speech, he said, “China will accelerate creating a new development pattern and pursue high-quality development.”

^{Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee in Beijing on October 16, 2022.(Image Credit: Xinhua/via Globaltimes)}

He further added that “We must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy on all fronts, continue reforms to develop the socialist market economy, promote high-standard opening-up, and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development that is focused on the domestic economy and features positive interplay between domestic and international economic flows.”

How the party leadership is chosen?

Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has more than 96 million registered members making it one of the largest political parties in the world. The CPC National Congress is made up of some 2,300 members representing the party’s hierarchy from all 34 administrative divisions across China.

The congress delegates would appoint 400 members strong Central Committee. The Central Committee would further select from its ranks, a 25-members Politburo. The Politburo decision-making is further centralized into the Politburo Standing Committee, a group of 7 individuals chosen from among the 25 members of the Politburo. President Xi Jinping would remain at the top of the Politburo Standing Committee as the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the CCP.