The Chinese Communist Party’s Political Bureau held its 27th collective study session on July 30, 2026, following the 25th session on April 28, 2026. However, the 26th session between these two dates was not publicly reported by the party media, leaving the exact date and content of the study session a mystery.
According to Xinhua News Agency, during the meeting on July 30, 2026, the Political Bureau analyzed and discussed the current economic situation, as well as outlined economic work for the second half of the year. It was also decided during this meeting that the Fifth Plenum would be held in October. In the afternoon of July 30, the 27th collective study session was conducted on the topic of advancing national defense and military modernization.
Previously, Xinhua News Agency reported that on April 28, 2026, the Political Bureau convened to analyze the current economic situation and economic work. In the afternoon of April 28, the 25th collective study session was held to focus on enhancing disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities.
The meetings of the Political Bureau are typically presided over by the Party leader at the end of each month, and Xinhua News Agency usually releases a summary of the meeting on the same day. These reports are generally text-only without on-site photos or videos. For the collective study sessions of the Political Bureau, in addition to Xinhua News Agency’s text summary, CCTV’s “Xinwen Lianbo” may broadcast on-site footage on the same day or the day after.
It is notable that the 26th collective study session between the aforementioned two Political Bureau meetings was not publicly reported by the official media, leaving the specific date and content undisclosed.
Prior to this, from the 1st to the 24th collective study sessions of the 20th Political Bureau, with the exception of the 13th session held between March and April 2024, all others had public reports.
In May 2026, the lack of reported meetings of the Political Bureau at the end of each month caught the attention of the public.
Starting from May 26, 2026, Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping remained out of public sight until June 5, when he met with the leader of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, Thongloun Sisoulith. This ten-day absence raised speculations.
Additionally, in late May 2026, the Chinese authorities announced a series of personnel changes at the provincial and ministerial levels:
– On May 30, Guan Zhiou succeeded Wang Zhonglin as Hubei Provincial Party Secretary.
– On May 29, Zhang Yuzhuo replaced Li Xiaohong as the Party Secretary of the China Engineering Academy.
– Ding Xiangqun, Party Secretary and Chairman of China People’s Insurance Group, was appointed as the Party Secretary of the National Financial Supervisory Commission.
An article in the Hong Kong newspaper “Ming Pao” on June 8, 2026, suggested that a meeting of the Central Political Bureau was held on May 29, 2026. However, due to the focus on high-level personnel matters, the meeting was kept confidential. It is speculated that it might have been a seven-member Political Bureau Standing Committee meeting that day, addressing adjustments in high-level personnel, which are typically not made public.
It is unclear whether the May Political Bureau collective study session and the Political Bureau meeting were held on the same day, as both were kept confidential at the time.
According to reports, on May 29, 2026, Zhao Leji, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee, along with Political Bureau members Wang Yi and Chen Wenqing were on overseas visits.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Zhao Leji, member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee and Chairman of the National People’s Congress, visited Russia from May 27 to 30, 2026, and attended the 11th meeting of the China-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee.
Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Foreign Affairs, was in New York from May 26 to 28, attending the United Nations meetings, followed by a visit to Canada from May 28 to 30.
Chen Wenqing, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary of the Central Political and Legal Affairs Commission, traveled to Russia from May 27 to June 1, attending the 14th International Conference of Senior Security Representatives and visiting Russia and Kazakhstan.
On June 30, 2026, the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party held a meeting to discuss flood control and drought relief strategies; however, there were no official reports of a collective study session of the Political Bureau on the same day.
After the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, in the past three years, namely on June 30, 2023, June 27, 2024, and June 30, 2025, Political Bureau meetings were held concurrently with collective study sessions.
It remains a mystery whether the 26th collective study session of the Political Bureau was held on June 30, 2026, following the convention, as no information was made public about it.
Record shows that following the 20th National Congress, up to July 31, 2026, a total of 27 collective study sessions of the Political Bureau have been held, including 9 in 2023, with 5 sessions in the first half of the year; 7 in 2024, with 4 sessions in the first half of the year; 5 in 2025, with 3 sessions in the first half of the year; and 4 in 2026 so far.
On November 28, 2025, a collective study session of the Political Bureau was conducted. CCTV’s “Xinwen Lianbo” coverage revealed the absence of Li Xi, a member of the Political Bureau Standing Committee and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Ma Xingrui, a member of the Political Bureau. Their absence drew widespread public attention.
Ma Xingrui subsequently missed the Central Economic Work Conference on December 10-11, 2025, the end-of-year Political Bureau democratic life meeting, and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection plenary session in January 2026. On April 3, 2026, Ma Xingrui was officially announced to have fallen from power.
He Waidong, a member of the Political Bureau and Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, disappeared from the public eye after the two sessions in March 2025. On October 17, 2025, the Ministry of National Defense of the Chinese Communist Party announced the expulsion of He Waidong from the party and the military. During this period, he also chronically missed high-level activities such as the collective study sessions of the Political Bureau.