# 3rd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party

The 3rd Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party was conducted in Beijing from 15 to 18 July 2024.

## Background

The third plenary session of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party is typically convened between September and December of the year following the Party Congress, as per previous practice. Nevertheless, this session was held in July 2024. According to certain analysts, the postponement may be attributable to the necessity for additional time to coordinate and develop significant reform strategies. However, this meeting continued to emphasize economic and reform concerns, as has been the case in previous third plenary sessions.
On 20 May 2024, the CCP Central Committee convened a symposium at Zhongnanhai to gather input and recommendations from non-CCP members regarding the Central Committee's decision to intensify reforms and promote Chinese modernization. Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, presided over the symposium and delivered a significant address. The meeting was attended by Wang Huning, Cai Qi, and Ding Xuexiang, members of the Politburo Standing Committee. Speeches were given by Chairman Zheng Jianbang of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang (RCCK), Chairman Ding Zhongli of the China Democratic League (CDL), Chairman Hao Mingjin of the China National Democratic Construction Association (CNDCA), Chairman Cai Dafeng of the China Association for Promoting Democracy (CAPD), Chairman He Wei of the Chinese Peasants' and Workers' Democratic Party (CPWDP), Chairman Jiang Zuojun of the China Zhi Gong Party (CZGP), Chairman Wu Weihua of the Jiusan Society, Chairwoman Su Hui of the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League (TDSL), Chairman Gao Yunlong of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC), and non-CCP representative Piao Shilong.

## Meetings

During the plenum, Xi Jinping presented a work report to the 20th Central Committee on behalf of the Politburo, focusing on further deepening reforms and advancing Chinese-style modernization. The plenum heard and debated the work report presented by Xi on behalf of the Politburo. The plenum also reviewed and approving the "Resolution of the CCP Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization", with Xi explaining the Resolution to the plenary session.
Regarding economics, the resolution said they must "better leverage the role of the market" and "make resource allocation as efficient and productive as possible", calling on to "lift restrictions on the market" while ensuring effective regulation" and "strive to better maintain order in the market and remedy market failures". The resolution also highlighted efforts in "building a unified national market". The resolution also focused heavily on "deepening the reform of the fiscal system, deepening financial system reform, and improving the mechanism for implementing the regional coordinated development strategy," referring to the financial and fiscal sectors as "key areas." The communique of the plenum stated all the reform tasks laid out in the resolution would be completed by the 80th anniversary of the People's Republic of China in 2029.
Following CCP Constitution, the Plenary Session agreed to replace alternate members of the Central Committee Ding Xiangqun, Yu Lijun, and Yu Jihong to members. The Plenary Session also agreed to remove Qin Gang from the Central Committee by accepting his appeal for resignation. The Plenary Session reviewed and approved the CCP Central Military Commission on the investigation of the issues of significant disciplinary violations by Li Shangfu, Li Yuchao, and Sun Jinming and confirmed the disciplinary actions previously taken by the Politburo in dismissing Li Shangfu, Li Yuchao, and Sun Jinming from the Party.

## Post-session

Following the conferences, early on July 19 at 10 a.m., the CCP Central Committee convened a news conference to present and explain the decisions of the Third Plenary Session. Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, and Li Xi respectively oversaw the State Council Executive Meeting and Party Leadership Group Meeting, the Party Leadership Group Meeting of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the Party Leadership Group Meeting of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Standing Committee Meeting of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, in order to transmit and analyze the of Third Plenary Session.
Along with the complete text of Xi Jinping's justifications of the decisions presented to the assembly, the "Decision of the CCP Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Style Modernizing" was published on July 21, 2024. Emphasizing voluntariness and flexibility, it discussed the slow and orderly advancement of the reform to progressively postpone the statutory retirement age.