The upcoming 3rd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is scheduled to be held in July, and recently the CCP authorities have been continuously warning party members not to speak out of turn and not to touch the “live wire,” among other cautions. In the past three months, there have also been consistent interpretations on the revision of the disciplinary regulations known as the “Party Discipline Punishment Regulations.” Analysts believe that the recent release of official opinions signals a tense atmosphere leading up to the 3rd Plenary Session, indicating that the CCP is facing at least a dual crisis.
According to an article published by China’s state broadcaster CCTV on June 17, it stated, “General Secretary warns party members and cadres not to touch this ‘live wire’.” The article quoted remarks made by Xi Jinping in recent years warning party members and cadres.
The concept of the “live wire” mentioned in the article refers to Xi Jinping’s statement about making discipline a real “live wire” that carries electricity.
The article mentioned that on January 1, 2024, the CCP implemented a new revision of the “Party Discipline Punishment Regulations,” outlining 37 “live wire” provisions related to organizational discipline in seven areas.
The 3rd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which was rare to be delayed from last autumn to July of this year, is widely believed to be due to major controversies within the CCP, which Xi Jinping has been unable to resolve.
An analysis published on June 18 stated that the release of such warnings at this critical juncture precedes significant meetings within the CCP, and it is customary for CCP leaders to deliver messages to senior officials through official media outlets. However, the comparison to a “live wire” is quite alarming, as violating it by not adhering to established guidelines and supporting the party could lead to dire consequences.
The official announcement by the CCP stated that Wu Yingjie, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former Party Secretary of Tibet, was placed under investigation on June 16. According to official reports, including Li Yuefeng, Tang Yijun, Tang Renjian, Gou Zhongwen, and Wu Yingjie, five department-level cadres have been implicated this year.
Chinese affairs expert Wang He told Epoch Times on June 18 that the significant number of department-level officials being investigated is intended to showcase strength ahead of the 3rd Plenary Session, ensuring that Xi Jinping holds enough leverage to proceed. With the session delayed for nearly half a year, Xi has implemented several measures, one of which involves targeting corruption, with more high-ranking officials being investigated than in previous periods, and increasing the roles of the public security and national security bureaus.
“Following the 20th Party Congress, the CCP needs to address economic issues, but the economic situation is a mess. The real representatives of economic power under the CCP regime are the central and state-owned enterprises. Therefore, the current crackdown is shifting towards these areas, including the financial sector. Xi knows that his real threats are not from figures like Jack Ma but from those with actual power in entities like PetroChina and defense companies, often tied to influential families. Currently, he is deploying inspection teams and ramping up the forces of public security and national security as he cannot afford any mistakes,” Wang added.
The ongoing public statements made by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security concerning financial and real estate risks, as well as prior declarations by the Ministry of National Security on financial matters, hint at the government’s intentions to address potential economic challenges.
Wang stated that Xi Jinping initially faced opposition from other political factions before the 20th Party Congress but is currently encountering resistance from across the officialdom. “The CCP is facing a dual crisis. Changing the emperor in a stable dynasty is not an issue. However, if the head of the CCP is changed, it will be disastrous. The current situation is not just about Xi, as there is resentment towards him within the party, with others trying to oust him. This is essentially a political struggle.”
Earlier, the CCP announced the launch of an extensive “Party Discipline Learning and Education” campaign nationwide from April to July 2024. A brief analysis suggests that the three-month continuous “Party Discipline Education” campaigns are paving the way for the upcoming 3rd Plenary Session.
The Communist Party of China’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the State Supervision Commission have recently released a series of interpretations on the revised CCP Party Discipline Punishment Regulations. An article on June 17 emphasized the need to “resolutely uphold the authority of the Party Central Committee and its centralized and unified leadership,” shifting the focus from violations of work discipline to violations of political discipline for failing to implement decisions made by the Party Central Committee.
The CCP Central Office issued a “National Party and Government Leadership Team Construction Plan (2024-2028)” on June 13, highlighting the need to first “forge political loyalty” within leadership teams and strengthen the implementation of major decisions and instructions from Xi Jinping through a mechanism emphasizing important directives.
Political commentator Li Linyi told Epoch Times on June 15 that the leaked document from the CCP Central Office or the need to emphasize loyalty among officials suggests widespread disloyalty towards Xi Jinping within the bureaucracy. The authorities’ desire to secure officials’ loyalty might be unattainable, hence necessitating increased suppression. This sends an ominous signal ahead of the impending 3rd Plenary Session.
Recent official reports indicate that Xi Jinping has encountered soft resistance within the bureaucracy. The CCP Discipline Inspection Commission’s website once revealed that in the first ten months of 2021, 247,000 inadequacies in implementing Xi Jinping’s directives and central decision-making were identified and rectified. CCP state media have consistently criticized officials for sluggishness and inaction.
The CCP Discipline Inspection Commission’s articles have heavily criticized officials forming “cliques and factions.” The revised regulations also introduce penalties for practices like being a “political swindler” or privately accessing politically sensitive materials.
Wang highlighted that officials being caught reading prohibited political texts symbolizes the CCP’s current lack of moral compass. However, the bigger issue lies in activities like organizing factions and forming cliques, which Xi Jinping fears the most, such as the “Sun Lijun Political Faction.”
Former Deputy Minister of Public Security Sun Lijun was expelled from the Party and his government positions in September 2021 and later received the death penalty with a two-year reprieve. After the two-year period, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment without the possibility of a reduced term, parole, or sentence reduction. Sun Lijun was accused of operating a “political faction” that included former Minister of Justice Fu Zhenghua.
On June 12, the CCP Discipline Inspection Commission released a video emphasizing that party members are prohibited from making any form of “irresponsible remarks on major party policies that damage party unity” and from “publicly expressing opinions contradictory to decisions by the Party Central Committee.”
The commission warned against “speaking ill of the Party on major issues,” “irresponsibly discussing” major party policies, “disturbing thoughts,” and undermining party member unity. Individuals impeding policy implementation will face “serious measures.”
An article by Radio France Internationale suggested that the atmosphere is tense with the imminent 3rd Plenary Session coming up, as the General Secretary is still wary of the party’s cadres.
The 3rd Plenary Session of the CCP, focusing on national economic strategies, is of particular interest against the backdrop of China’s weakened economy. China is grappling with challenges such as the real estate crisis, overcapacity, weak consumption, and high unemployment rates.
New Tang Dynasty Television reported on June 18 that overseas political commentator Lan Shu believed the CCP’s continuous left-leaning shifts have caused a series of economic issues, leading the top CCP leadership into a very passive situation. Fearing internal opposition at the upcoming 3rd Plenary Session, the CCP is issuing warnings to the entire party to ensure complete compliance with various political arrangements.
“CCP officials at all levels are more in touch with Chinese society and the front lines, encountering various issues in their daily work. When they gather, they may exchange differing opinions and views, often in opposition to the current policies and directions of the senior CCP leadership. Xi Jinping does not want to see this situation unfold, and is now beginning to clamp down on dissent,” Lan said.
Ren Jianping, a former Beijing lawyer and chair of the Canada Movement for Democracy, noted that the 3rd Plenary Session involves certain political arrangements. To prevent any internal discord within the party and ensure compliance with the CCP’s political directives, the authorities are issuing a strong warning to the entire party.