Chinese Communist Party's plenary session begins in Beijing

The 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party began its fifth plenary session in Beijing on Monday morning.

Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping delivered a work report on behalf of the Political Bureau. He also presented a draft of a key decision aimed at strengthening full and rigorous self-discipline within the party.

According to the state news agency Xinhua, the draft includes a strategic plan to strengthen the party's discipline and self-governance. The session will review the achievements, experience and challenges of self-discipline in the new era, and discuss further concrete measures.

Controlling corruption and enhancing the competence and loyalty of cadres are also central to the discussions. Held behind closed doors under tight security, the meeting is attended by around 300 members of the Central Committee.

The session comes ahead of the party's national congress next year and a possible leadership reshuffle. When Xi came to power in 2012, he pledged to root out corruption at every level of the party. In 2025, China's discipline agencies opened investigations into more than a million people, including over a hundred ministerial- or provincial-level officials.