CPC to hold key meet to amend leadership rule in boost to Xi

China's ruling Communist Party will hold a high-level meeting next month amid reports it is set to approve a key document amending an over three-decade-old rule that stipulates collective leadership, in a bid to further strengthen the power base of President Xi Jinping.
The plenary session of the CPC will be held here from October 24 to 27, the Political Bureau, the high power policy body of the party announced here today.
At a meeting presided over by Xi, the Political Bureau members heard reports on the drafting of two documents to be submitted to the plenum for deliberation, namely, the norms of political life within the party under the new situation and a revision to an intra-party supervision regulation, state-run Xinhua news agency reported quoting an official announcement.

While new amendments were set to impose stricter discipline on party leaders and cadres, the other amendment related to the 1080 rule of the original criteria for political conduct within the party which stipulated that collective leadership was the overriding principle, Hong Kong -based South China Morning Post reported.
Observers said the new amendment was expected to blunt the collective leadership, reinforcing Xi's power base further.
Xi is already regarded as China's most powerful leader in decades after party founder Mao Zedong as he also heads the CPC and the military besides the presidency.
He continues to consolidate his power as he carried out a massive anti-graft campaign in which top retired and serving officials of the party and military besides thousands of middle and lower ranks were punished in the last three years.

The plenum comes amid ongoing reshuffles of senior provincial-level leaders ahead of a five-yearly party congress late next year at which Xi is expected to cement his power, the Post report said.