Yet he remains frustrated with cadres he deems are not implementing his orders.
State media published an article ahead of the plenum, based on a speech Xi gave in January in which he railed against “two-faced” officials who appear to comply with central directives but “inwardly resist”, pursue “individualism” and are “politically opportunistic”.
Analysts told AFP that Xi is trying to maximise efficiency and loyalty among cadres by imposing more supervision and rules.
But as a result of his expansive purges, this year’s plenum is expected to have the lowest turnout since former leader Mao Zedong’s death in 1976.
Eight of the Central Committee’s seats lie vacant, with another 15 members under investigation and at risk of being replaced.
Xi’s anti-corruption drive has also targeted the military, toppling five of the seven members of the Central Military Commission (CMC), the party’s top armed forces body.
Of 44 military members appointed to the Central Committee in 2022, only two have not been purged or disappeared, according to the Asia Society Policy Institute.
