Beijing, Oct 23 – The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reaffirmed President Xi Jinping’s leadership as the “core” figure of the party and the military, following a significant purge of high-ranking military officials. This decision was made during the plenum, a key 370-member body of the CCP, which convened from Monday to Thursday.

The plenum concluded with a call for unity behind Xi, who is currently in his unprecedented third term, making him the only leader since Mao Zedong to achieve this status. A new five-year plan was also endorsed, aimed at building a more resilient domestic market and enhancing self-reliance to mitigate the effects of the ongoing trade tensions with the United States, particularly those stemming from President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

An official communique emphasized the importance of Xi’s core position within the party and the guiding role of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The meeting occurred ahead of a potential discussion between Xi and Trump at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, scheduled for October 30 to November 1, where they are expected to address issues related to rare-earth metals and semiconductor chips.

The plenum also sanctioned the dismissal of General He Weidong, the second-highest military official, along with eight other senior officials expelled from the military and party due to corruption and disciplinary violations. General He and Central Military Commission (CMC) member Miao Hua were both expelled from their positions. Zhang Shengmin, the military’s anti-graft chief, was appointed as General He’s successor and promoted to Vice Chairman of the CMC.

In addition to Generals He and Miao, seven other former senior military officials, all three-star generals, were expelled for serious violations of party discipline and suspected major duty-related crimes. Since Xi assumed leadership of the CCP in December 2012, numerous top military officials have faced dismissal as part of his ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has strengthened his control over both the military and the party. The recent purge marks one of the largest in recent years.

The plenum praised the achievements of the current five-year plan while endorsing the new 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030). This new plan is deemed critical for reinforcing foundations and advancing towards socialist modernization by 2035. It aims to enhance self-reliance in science and technology and develop new, quality productive forces, while also focusing on building a robust domestic market.

Recent economic data revealed that China’s economy grew by 4.8 percent, marking the slowest growth rate this year. This slowdown is attributed to the escalating trade conflict initiated by Trump, which has adversely affected China’s exports to the U.S., one of its primary markets. The current growth rate is a decline from the previous quarter’s 5.2 percent and remains close to the official annual GDP target of five percent for the year.