Staff members work at the reception for foreign journalists in the Press Center of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 11, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Xin)
The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Wednesday kicked off an important meeting to make final preparations for the Party's upcoming 19th National Congress next week. [Special coverage]
The Seventh Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China opened in Beijing on Wednesday morning.
The meeting will discuss three documents for submission to the congress: a draft amendment to the CPC constitution, a draft report by the 18th CPC Central Committee, and a draft work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the Xinhua News Agency reported.
"The mission of the seventh plenary session is to make full preparations for the 19th CPC National Congress and usually the session does not put forward new thoughts or philosophies," Cai Zhiqiang, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing, told the Global Times on Wednesday.
"The three documents are of great importance to the 19th CPC National Congress. For example, the draft report on the work of the Party is the Party's strategic layout and guiding thoughts of the country's future development."
The specific amendment to the Party constitution has to wait until after the closure of the 19th CPC National Congress, Cai noted.
A previous Xinhua report said amending the Party constitution on the basis of the new situation and tasks would promote development of socialism with Chinese characteristics and Party building. It said the amending the Party constitution "must fully represent the latest sinicization of Marxism, new governance concepts, thought and strategies of the CPC Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress, as well as new experience in adhering to and strengthening Party leadership and in strict Party governance."
Review revamp
This plenary session is set to review the CCDI report, which Cai said reflects "the centralized leadership of the CPC Central Committee."
Previously, the CCDI work reports were directly submitted to the CPC national congress, held every five years, after approval at the CCDI plenary sessions without undergoing deliberation by the CPC Central Committee at its plenum.
"The change in deliberative procedures shows the country's top anti-graft organ's distinct attitude in fulfilling faithfully the functions and responsibilities bestowed by the Party constitution. The report will reveal the achievements in ruling the Party strictly, the normalization of the Party's political life and the effective advancement of the democratization within the Party," said Cai.
Observers said that the removal of some fallen officials, including former chief of CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee Sun Zhengcai, is also likely to be formalized at the plenary session.
Sun was expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for "serious discipline violations." Investigation found that Sun had betrayed Party principles and lost political stance, ignoring the Party code of conduct and rules, Xinhua reported on September 29.
The report said the decision to expel Sun from the CPC will be put before a plenary meeting of the CPC Central Committee.
According to previous reports, a similar decision has also been made about other officials including Xiang Junbo, former chairman of China Insurance Regulatory Commission - under investigation on suspicion of taking bribes - and Wang Sanyun, vice chairman of the Education, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee of the 12th National People's Congress, expelled from the Party and dismissed from public office for actions that included allegedly accepting bribes.
The decision is in accordance with the Party constitution, which stipulates that any decision to remove a member of the Central Committee from his posts within the Party or to expel such a person from the Party must be approved by a two-thirds majority vote at a plenary meeting of the Party committee to which he belongs, Cai said.
The 19th CPC National Congress, expected to begin on October 18, is a very important meeting to be held when China is at a crucial stage in achieving a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way as well as for the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xinhua reported.
A new CPC Central Committee and a new CCDI will be elected at the 19th CPC national congress.
