The Chinese Communist Party’s Beidaihe Conference started on August 1 and is expected to continue until the 15th. According to sources close to the top leadership of the CCP, this year’s closed-door discussions at Beidaihe focus primarily on two main topics: preparing for the 21st Party Congress political report and high-level personnel arrangements, and boosting technological capabilities with a focus on artificial intelligence, chips, and key core technologies.
Insiders within the system revealed that a significant action at this year’s Beidaihe Conference is the confirmation of the core team members for drafting the 21st Party Congress political report. The highest levels of leadership will set the political and technological direction for the coming years. After the conference, the drafting of the report will continue to progress, with relevant personnel conducting specialized research in different regions and departments in the fall. It is expected that the drafting of the report will start in November, slightly earlier than in previous years.
Political analyst Liu Tianming from Beijing stated his expectation that the 21st Party Congress will be held in the fall of 2027. Initiating the political report and high-level personnel arrangements at this time is not considered early. Liu Tianming emphasized the importance of discussing personnel arrangements during the Beidaihe Conference, especially considering the existing uncertainties at the top levels of the military.
Regarding how the 21st Party Congress political report will set the tone and the potential new members of the next Political Bureau Standing Committee, Liu Tianming explained that the selection of Standing Committee members is highly sensitive and the final list usually isn’t finalized until later stages. The primary focus of the Beidaihe Conference is to determine the political direction, with officials proposing vague concepts at the provincial and ministerial levels first, such as political loyalty. Any changes to the political report or the Party Constitution are typically hinted at beforehand.
Xi Jinping, the CCP’s leader, entered his third term after the 20th Congress. In recent years, there have been ongoing personnel changes at high levels within the CCP’s military and defense industry system. Those familiar with Chinese political dynamics indicated that after the Beidaihe Conference, the selection process for key positions in the 21st Congress, including the Political Bureau, provincial leaders, and the military commission, will enter the next phase of personnel selection after initial cues.
Apart from the political report and personnel arrangements, sources revealed that enhancing technological capabilities is another key focus of this year’s Beidaihe Conference, with a particular emphasis on artificial intelligence, chips, and essential core technologies.
A recent article in the CCP mouthpiece, People’s Daily, discussed the summer expert activities at Beidaihe. From August 1 to 7, 60 experts from various fields including basic research, strategic frontier technologies, core technologies, and philosophy and social sciences were invited to Beidaihe. On August 3, CCP Politburo Standing Committee member Cai Qi visited these experts.
A semiconductor industry professional, Qin Shu, shared that China currently faces challenges in breakthroughs in advanced processes, high-end lithography equipment, electronic design automation software, critical materials, and high-performance computing chips required for artificial intelligence. The development of advanced processes needs equipment, software, and materials, which are still largely imported from the West. With the US and its allies restricting these technologies, China is faced with difficulties in obtaining them directly from the market, leading to increased financial risks.
The Beidaihe summer expert activities in 2025 also saw experts and young talents from high-tech, philosophy and social sciences, and basic research fields participating. This year, People’s Daily further emphasized strategic frontier technologies and core technologies like chips, artificial intelligence, and quantum technology.
Political observer Wu Haoyan emphasized the significance of discussing both personnel arrangements and technological issues at this year’s Beidaihe Conference. He raised concerns about the ongoing competition between China and the US and questioned what strategic assets China possesses to sustain the next five years, highlighting the complexities and challenges faced by the nation.