It’s one of the big annual meetings to hash out the policies of the Chinese Communist Party. But if you’re a rank-and-file party member, better not try to contribute to the discussion by way of criticism during the lead-up to the gathering.
Doing so could be harshly penalized: “Chinese Communist Party warns members not to criticise policy ahead of major economic policy meeting” (South China Morning Post, June 16, 2024).
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection published a special report via state news agency Xinhua on Wednesday that warned against “openly speaking ill of the party on major issues” as part of the watchdog’s latest internal disciplinary drive.
The report said “public statements that contradict the decisions of the Central Committee are absolutely not allowed”.
It added that public comments that “irresponsibly discuss” the party’s main policies, “disrupt the thoughts” and undermine the unity of party members, warning that those who hinder policy execution must be “dealt with strictly”….
The disciplinary message came weeks ahead of the third plenum—a key meeting of the party’s Central Committee next month that will set the country’s economic strategy for the coming five years….
“Now, as the third plenary session is about to be held, the central leadership undoubtedly wants to control the pace of the discussion,” said Dali Yang, a political scientist at the University of Chicago.
“The talk of reforms suggest that everyone is encouraged to speak out, but the ban on public criticism is a stark reminder that dissenting voices will face consequences,” he said.
Everybody can talk as long as they don’t say anything.
According to SCMP’s report, analysts are warning that the effort to “tighten message discipline” may “further damage international confidence.” Has CCP “message discipline” been lax up to now?
In an April 2024 story, Reuters noted that the upcoming third plenum had been inexplicably postponed last year.
It explained that plenums “require the attendance of all of the party’s central committee, comprising 205 members and 171 alternate members with President Xi Jinping at the helm. The central committee typically holds seven plenums between party congresses, which are held once every five years. The current central committee members were elected at the last party congress in October 2022.”
The October 2022 congress was the one at which Xi Jinping secured his third term as China’s dictator, after having gotten rid of term limits on his office in 2018.
