Global Impact: 20th party congress preparations enter final leg

As the week-long National Day holiday draws to a close, preparation for the 20th party congress enters its final leg. On Sunday, party elites will kick off a plenary meeting to start reviewing a set of documents to be tabled for discussion by the 2,000-odd delegates at the congress from next week.

Little has been revealed about their content, but they include amendments to the party constitution and two work reports by the policymaking Central Committee and the anti-graft Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The report by the graft busters is expected to summarise work on a number of high-profile corruption cases involving some of the country’s top law enforcers whose downfalls have captured the nation’s attention.

The promotion of Xi’s legacy – or Xi Jinping Thought – began long before the congress, but it has gathered momentum in recent weeks. One such highlight appeared in Qiushi at the beginning of the National Day holiday when the party journal republished a speech by Xi at the previous party congress five years ago asking party members to focus on their “historical mission” and prepare for the “great struggles” ahead.

It mirrored a previous Qiushi article – another speech by Xi – about the Chinese Communist Party becoming the standard-bearer of global socialism and strengthening its “revolutionary spirit”, while discussing how China can achieve its goal of national rejuvenation.

This was echoed by He Yiting, a party ideologist, who wrote in the Study Times, an official publication of the Communist Party School, that the party needs a “grand strategy” and leadership to navigate turbulent times.

Xi’s paramount status was again in full display before the holiday when he reappeared after a week-long absence from the public spotlight to lead senior party officials through an exhibition highlighting China’s achievements during his previous two terms. Xi took the centre stage again three days later when he led the leadership to pay tributes to national heroes at Tiananmen Square on Martyrs’ Day.