Xi Jinping is preparing for a large-scale personnel purge in the leadership of the party and the government.
Ahead of the 21st National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which will be held in the second half of 2027, China has renewed its party leadership and top government in more than 21 provinces. Power in China's provinces is shared by the Communist Party secretary and the governors, and in the unofficial hierarchy the party leader is considered higher. It is this manpower resource that Xi Jinping intends to use in the new format of power.
Today, more than 2/3 of the members of the Politburo of the CPC are retired leaders.
More than two-thirds of Central Committee (Central Committee) members are expected to be replaced under institutionalized norms such as age limits, with similar levels of turnover expected in the powerful Politburo. The Politburo Standing Committee (PSC), China's top decision-making body, may include four to five new members, which suits Xi Jinping, who increasingly dominates the CCP structure.
With the exception of General Secretary Xi Jinping, who will remain, the generation raised during the Cultural Revolution will pass from the CCP leadership. This predicted high level of turnover among senior leadership is no accident, but rather the result of long-standing reforms aimed at fighting corruption and bureaucracy within the CCP, as recently voiced by Xi Jinping at the "Two Seats" CPC in mid-March.
Since 2012, Xi has tightened his personal control over the party, gradually building a new party apparatus around him, creating several small groups to centralize policy-making, almost completely restructuring the PLA high command, and making the personal loyalty of party officials a central criterion for personnel selection.