China's top leaders meet yearly to criticize themselves in front of Xi
Loyalty to Xi is part of the review, in a revival of a Mao-era method of control.
wsj.com · How Xi Jinping Steamrolls Dissent With Tactics From Stalin and Mao - WSJChina's most powerful officials gather once a year to criticize themselves in front of Xi Jinping.
The attendees are members of the Politburo, the small leadership group at the top of China's ruling Communist Party. In sessions chaired by Xi himself, each member assesses his own performance and that of his colleagues, with loyalty to Xi's leadership among the criteria. The point is control: the pressure pushes officials to keep proving allegiance to Xi and makes it harder for anyone to challenge him.
The sessions revive a method used under Mao Zedong, who led the party until his death in 1976. Xi uses them alongside purges that have removed three sitting Politburo members in six months, plus the ministers in charge of defense, foreign affairs, and agriculture. Together, the ritual and the removals leave senior officials with the same choice: keep proving loyalty or risk losing their posts.
Questions people ask
What is China's Politburo?
The Politburo is the top decision-making body of China's Communist Party, currently with about two dozen members. Its Standing Committee, a seven-man group at its core, holds the country's ultimate political power.
Why use self-criticism sessions?
Self-criticism has roots in Communist Party tradition, where members were expected to confess shortcomings to enforce discipline and unity. Under Xi, the ritual publicly signals submission and makes it harder for rivals to organize opposition.
What happens to officials who fail the loyalty test?
Officials judged disloyal can lose their posts, face investigation for corruption or discipline violations, and disappear from public life. In recent years, that has included very senior figures, including defense and foreign ministers.