Opening of the Jungyanghoe... Deliberation on National Agency Personnel and Organizational Restructuring Plans

Last August, Xi Jinping, President of China, attended the Model Civil Servant Commendation Ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, greeting the attendees.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The 2nd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (the 2nd Plenum), where the leadership appointments for Xi Jinping's third term and the direction of government department restructuring are expected to be virtually decided, opened on the afternoon of the 26th in Beijing.

According to the state-run news agency Xinhua, the 2nd Plenum, held from the 26th to the 28th, will review the draft reform plan for the Party and state institutions and the list of candidates for leadership positions in state institutions and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) to be finalized at the upcoming Two Sessions (Lianghui)?the National People's Congress (NPC) and the CPPCC?opening on the 4th of next month. On the first day of the meeting, Xi Jinping, the Party General Secretary and President of China, delivered a work report on behalf of the Party Central Politburo.

The Central Committee, the highest leadership body of the Communist Party of China, customarily holds seven plenary sessions between Party Congresses, which occur every five years. Among these, the 2nd Plenum plays the role of reviewing the leadership appointments for the next five years for the State Council (China's cabinet), the NPC (legislature), and the CPPCC (state advisory body), as well as the restructuring plans for Party and government institutions. The personnel proposals reviewed at the 2nd Plenum are usually finalized as is at the subsequent Two Sessions.

Although Xi Jinping's third term began with the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held last October, the announcement of key appointments such as the Premier, Vice Premiers, heads of government ministries, Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, and Chairman of the CPPCC, as well as policy directions, will be made at the Two Sessions next month.

Regarding personnel, it is certain that Xi Jinping will serve a third term as both President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Li Qiang, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee, is expected to become the new Premier of the State Council. Additionally, Ding Xuexiang, a Politburo Standing Committee member, and Politburo members He Lifeng, Liu Guozhong, and Zhang Guoqing are likely to serve as Vice Premiers.

The new Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, responsible for the legislative process, is effectively decided to be Zhao Leji, ranked third in the Party hierarchy, while Wang Huning, ranked fourth, is set to become the new Chairman of the CPPCC.