On October 26, 2026, the 5th Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) began in Beijing and will run for four days. The front page of the state‑run newspaper People’s Daily published a commentary signed “Ren Zhongping” titled “Continuing to Advance Strict Party Governance on the New Journey.” The piece stresses the need to maintain and deepen the Party’s strict governance measures and highlights Xi Jinping’s guiding role. The commentary frames the plenary as a key moment in several anniversaries: the CPC’s 105th anniversary, the launch of the 15th Five‑Year Plan, the 90th anniversary of the Long March, and the 18th Party Congress. It references the Zunyi Conference, where Mao Zedong was established as the main representative of the correct Marxist line and the core of the Party’s first central leadership collective. The article notes that since the 18th Congress, China’s socialism has entered a new era, with Xi Jinping’s thought becoming the guiding ideology and Xi himself being recognized as the Party’s core. The commentary also discusses the “four major tests”—governance, reform and opening up, the market economy, and external environment—and the “four dangers” of spiritual laxity, insufficient ability, detachment from the masses, and passive corruption. It argues that strict Party governance must continue to address these challenges to preserve the Party’s vitality and to navigate the “new test” of the era. “Ren Zhongping” is a collective pen name used by People’s Daily for important political commentaries that align with major Party decisions and national policies. The article was published at 11:30 HKT on the same day the plenary began.
Article source: Sing Tao Electronic Daily | Image credit: Sing Tao Electronic Daily