The Beidaihe Period Has Commenced, Drawing the Attention of the Outside World to the Intense Power Struggles Within the CCP.

On August 5, 2016, a security guard stands outside a restricted compound in Beidaihe, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, China. Chinese leaders gather in this coastal city for annual closed-door meetings. (Simon Song/South China Morning Post via Getty Images)

[People News] According to reports from CCTV and Xinhua News Agency, Cai Qi, the director of General Secretary Xi Jinping's office and a close confidant, visited experts on summer vacation in Beidaihe on August 3, 'entrusted by Xi Jinping.' The event's theme was 'Striving for the 14th Five-Year Plan,' with 60 expert representatives participating from fields such as basic research, strategic frontier technology, key core technologies, and philosophy and social sciences. Analysts have noted that this indicates the beginning of the 'Beidaihe time' for the CCP's internal power struggles, as Cai Qi's previous appearances have coincided with the annual closed-door meetings held in Beidaihe.

Observers have pointed out that this year marks a rare occasion in the CCP's annual reports on the 'Beidaihe meeting' where the participation of experts in strategic frontier technology and key core technology fields is explicitly mentioned.

The CCP has not publicly confirmed the commencement of the 'Beidaihe meeting,' likely due to concerns about external speculation regarding internal personnel disputes, or to avoid public backlash against the use of public resources for such informal gatherings, or perhaps to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from Zhongnanhai or local areas from exploiting the situation. Nevertheless, the CCP's top leadership has begun to collectively 'go incognito,' including Xi Jinping, whose latest news on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' official website still refers to a July 29 phone call congratulating the re-election of the President of São Tomé and Príncipe. Additionally, on July 31, the CCP's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the routine press conference for the summer of 2026 would be on break from August 3 to August 14, resuming on August 17…

These signs suggest that a certain level of superficial personnel conflicts permitted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has indeed commenced. This meeting, which typically sparks rumors of power struggles among senior officials, is particularly significant this year as it occurs ahead of the CCP's Fifth Plenary Session in October and the 21st National Congress next year, both of which will address internal party reforms and high-level personnel arrangements. Consequently, it has garnered considerable attention from the international community.

Last week, the CCP's Politburo convened a meeting and announced that the Fifth Plenary Session will take place in October 2026. The primary agenda will involve the Politburo reporting to the Central Committee on its work and discussing 'advancing the comprehensive and strict governance of the party on several major issues.'

Analysts note that the emphasis on 'the continuous advancement of comprehensive and strict governance of the party' indicates an intensification of internal power struggles among the CCP's top leadership, suggesting that a more extensive purge will be initiated within the party. Over twenty current members of the Central Committee, including Politburo members Zhang Youxia and Ma Xingrui, are anticipated to be formally expelled from the CCP or face related disciplinary actions during the Fifth Plenary Session. The number of Central Committee members expelled from the party could reach as high as 40, marking an unprecedented occurrence.

The CCP's secret closed-door meeting during this summer vacation has emphasized superficial cultural and peaceful topics in the realms of 'science, technology, and social sciences' to obscure the underlying personnel power struggles, further highlighting the turbulent atmosphere surrounding the Fifth Plenary Session and the 21st National Congress.

Ruby Osman, a senior policy advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, asserts that the 'collective silence' of the leadership has contributed to rumors of political infighting or elite coups.

Neil Thomas from the Asia Society Policy Institute remarked, "Historically, this closed-door meeting has provided an informal platform for both current and retired leaders to discuss and negotiate policies and personnel matters." He further noted that as power becomes more concentrated within the party and in Xi Jinping's hands, "the room for genuine negotiation has greatly diminished."

Since the formal collective summer work meeting was abolished in 2003, it has not been officially recorded by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Nevertheless, party media have reported that both current and retired senior officials still travel to Beidaihe during the summer, facilitating informal interactions. This suggests that the CPC's stance on Beidaihe is rather ambiguous and somewhat resigned.

According to CPC media reports, during Cai Qi's visit to the expert representatives, Politburo member and Minister of the Organization Department Shi Taifeng, along with State Council Secretary-General Wu Zhenglong, participated in the visit. Notably, State Councilor Chen Yiqin, who has accompanied the visit for the past three years, was absent this time.

Currently, there has been no official explanation for her absence, and there were no reports of her public engagements on that day. Chen Yiqin was seen publicly on July 30, attending a collective study session of the CPC Politburo, which has led to significant speculation regarding her sudden absence.

Chen Yiqin has a long-standing career in Guizhou and was appointed State Councilor following the 20th CPC National Congress, overseeing civil affairs, human resources and social security, culture and tourism, and sports. In recent years, the political landscape in Guizhou has faced ongoing purges, with several officials who previously worked alongside her being dismissed. Consequently, there is heightened public interest in whether there are underlying reasons for her absence this time.

The political operations of the Chinese Communist Party have long been shrouded in secrecy, and while many of the political rumors that circulate may not be immediately verifiable, the 'Beidaihe Conference' continues to be of significant interest for ongoing observation.
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