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61-691: The Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission ( CCDR ), also translated as the Central Commission for Deepening Reform , is a policy formulation and implementation body of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in charge of "Comprehensively Deepening Reforms". These reforms are intended to be even more far-reaching than the previous round of comprehensive Chinese economic reforms initiated by Deng Xiaoping . The commission's main task

122-844: A change, as previously policy planning was the domain of the Premier. In March 2018, the leading group is transformed to be a commission; called the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission. From its first meeting in early 2014 through the end of 2022, the commission convened 66 times, and has deliberated on 542 high-profile policy documents. Policy documents issued by the CCDR have largely covered policy guidance or long-term plans, with those types accounting for 54% and 25% of CCDR published documents respectively. Over three quarters of publicly released CCDR documents are later formally issued by

183-590: A confirmation vote (i.e., vote "yes", "no", or abstain) on a candidate list, where the number of candidates exceed the number of available seats. Unlike the Politburo, whose membership has historically been determined by informal deliberations that include incumbent Politburo members and retired Politburo Standing Committee members, the method of candidate selection for the Central Committee membership receives less coverage, though it appears to be managed by

244-400: A full member or an elevation of an alternate member, are confirmed through passing a formally adopted resolution at Central Committee plenary sessions. Most members of the Central Committee are provincial governors or government ministers. For example, officials holding, or expected to hold the following positions at the time of a new party congress can be generally expected to hold a seat on

305-413: A meeting chaired by Xi and attended by other central leaders and heads of relevant agencies; at this point, the document is considered to have come into effect. Xi additionally gives a speech conveying the "spirit" of the policy and giving guidance for its implementation. Afterwards, the implementing agencies arrange study sessions in order to develop "understanding" of the policy's "spirit" conveyed during

366-442: A provincial leadership post may also be rejected by the "more candidates than seats" voting method – as appeared to be the case with Li Yuanchao (then Jiangsu party chief) in 2002, and Yang Xiong (mayor of Shanghai) in 2012. In contrast to full membership, alternate membership of the Central Committee is more varied in its composition, and there are fewer institutional rules governing its membership list. Generally speaking, since

427-545: A result of Deng Liqun being politically sidelined, the office was re-organized and renamed as the Central Office for Political Structure Reform , headed by Bao Tong , at the time the main secretary to then-party leader Zhao Ziyang . Bao was later purged along with his boss, when Zhao fell out of favour after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre . In that year, the Political Reform Office

488-783: A small group of military and political leaders (the Secretariat or the Politburo), and, beginning at the Zunyi Conference in 1935, Mao held great power personally. Moreover, during the Second Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese Civil War between 1937 and 1949, the Central Committee rarely convened, partly because of the logistical difficulties of bringing together leading cadres involved in different theatres of war and agitation. Beginning in 1949 at

549-527: A specific office will gain a seat on the CC. If a CC member is transferred to a different post, they maintain their CC membership. For example, a Governor of Shandong who is transferred to a position of less significance does not lose his seat on the CC, neither will his successor gain a seat on the CC. This has created situations in which individuals who do not sit on the Central Committee assume provincial leadership positions. An individual already provisionally named to

610-588: A specific policy focus, office and a high-ranking director. The General Office of the CCDR is located within the Central Policy Research Office (CPRO), which is itself located within the CCP General Office . The CCDR has local branches at the provincial, city, and county levels, as well as at state-owned enterprises (SOEs), which oversee detailed policy guidance implantation at the local level. Central Committee of

671-732: A year at a plenary session. The plenums typically open and close in the State Banquet Hall of the Great Hall of the People , with the working meetings of the plenum being held at the military run Jingxi Hotel in Beijing. The plenums of the Central Committee are the most important annually occurring event in Chinese politics . Normally, seven plenums are held over a five-year term of the Central Committee; two plenums are held at

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732-402: A year at a plenum, and functions as a top forum for discussion about relevant policy issues. The committee operates, however, on the principle of democratic centralism ; i.e., once a decision is made, the entire body speaks with one voice. The role of the Central Committee has varied throughout history. While it generally exercises power through formal procedures defined in the party constitution,

793-558: A year, it did not convene at all in 1951–53, 1960, 1963–65, and 1967. Informal and 'extraordinary' mechanisms were sometimes used for the purposes of discussing party policy, for example, the Seven Thousand Cadres Conference in 1962, meant to be a summation of the lessons of the Great Leap Forward. Mao did not hold absolute power over the Central Committee, as evidenced by the debates surrounding

854-419: Is located at this office and is headed by Wang Huning. The office is tasked with drafting the work reports to the party congresses and major party conferences, including Party Congress reports and plenum decisions, as well as drafting and revising "major documents of the party centre" and "some major speeches of central leaders." It also provides insights and research for party ideology and theories, as well as

915-662: Is responsible for drafting the ideology and theories of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), as well as various policy pronouncements at major congresses or plenums . This office was founded in 1981, following the Cultural Revolution . Initially it was an office under the Secretariat of the Chinese Communist Party . Deng Liqun served as its first director. In 1987, after the ouster of reformer Hu Yaobang as CCP General Secretary and also as

976-549: Is to determine policy guidelines for reforming the economic, political, cultural, social, ethical and party-building systems in order to address long-term reform issues, as well as to guide reform-related bodies of the CCP at central and local level, and supervise the implementation of reform plans. The CCDR has local branches, which oversee the implementation of policy guidelines issued at the central level. The CCDR consists entirely of officials of at least "deputy national leader" rank in

1037-453: The 1989 Tiananmen Square protests , and on top leadership changes in its aftermath, such as the purge of then General Secretary Zhao Ziyang , were made by "party elders" and a small group of top leaders, without first convening the Central Committee. Zhao questioned the legality of his removal in his memoirs released in 2006. While Central Committee meetings do not usually serve as forums for substantive debate, they have sometimes 'fine-tuned'

1098-605: The 9th Party Congress in April 1969 was largely handpicked by Mao and a small group of radical allies. The decisions at the Congress were later deemed to be "wholly and absolutely wrong" by official party historians. Since economic reforms began in 1978, the Central Committee has usually been composed of the leading figures of the party, government, the provinces, and the military. In contrast to Party Congresses, which have always been essentially ceremonial exercises, full meetings of

1159-494: The 18th Party Congress, the Central Committee plenums in 2013 and 2014 were given significant media coverage, as they marked the beginning of another round of comprehensive economic and social reforms (2013) and legal reforms (2014), respectively. In 2016, a Central Committee plenum was held, focusing mainly on in-party discipline and supervision. This plenum also gained a significant media coverage in China and abroad. According to

1220-408: The 1980s onwards, an average of 62% of the membership of the outgoing Central Committee has been replaced at each party congress. Since most members are at least 50 years old when they enter the body, the mandatory retirement age essentially serves as a 'term limit' on the entire membership of the Central Committee, whereby no member or group of members could conceivably serve longer than three terms on

1281-451: The 1980s, alternate membership in the Central Committee is composed of officials of provincial-ministerial rank or sub-provincial (vice-minister) rank. They are selected based on a combination of experience and the institutions that they represent. Many are heads of provincial party departments or party chiefs of big cities. Prominent academics with no political experience and state-owned enterprise chief executives often hold alternate seats on

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1342-484: The 1980s, the membership of the Central Committee has experienced rapid turnover, mostly due to the institutionalization of the system of promotions for party officials as well as an informally mandated retirement age, currently set at 65 for minister-level officials (which comprise the majority of the members of the Central Committee). The average age of members in the 18th Central Committee is 56.1 years. From

1403-539: The CCP Central Committee and the State Council. The commission has become the primary mechanism for top-level policymaking. Domestic structural issues are its policy focus. The CCDR meets regularly, convening roughly every six to eight weeks. It generally meets seven times annually to discuss policy on six main areas; the economic system and ecological civilization, democracy and the legal system,

1464-409: The Central Committee can be called upon in the interim to make extremely far-reaching decisions, or at least legitimize a change in direction mandated by the Politburo or other party leaders. The Central Committee must also be theoretically convened to prepare for a National Congress; for example, to determine its dates, delegate selection, agenda, and so on. The Central Committee has the power to elect

1525-593: The Central Committee have occasionally emerged as arenas in which there were substantive debates and decisions on party policy. An example of this was the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CCP Central Committee in 1978, at which China formally embarked on a project of economic reform . Deng Xiaoping also attempted to increase the level of "intra party democracy" in the 1980s by introducing so-called "more candidates than seats" election method ( Cha'e xuanju ). The Cha'e method meant that not everyone who

1586-548: The Central Committee. It also makes forming enduring political factions difficult. Chinese politics analyst Cheng Li noted that this makes the body much more fluid than most national legislatures, for which term limits do not generally apply. Central Policy Research Office The Central Policy Research Office ( CPRO ) is an institution of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party responsible for providing policy recommendations and insights to matters of governance, spanning political, social, and economic realms. It

1647-455: The Central Committee. Some alternate members therefore hold no other political positions. Younger alternate members are also generally seen to be "up-and-coming" national leaders. Though all nominations for the Central Committee are decided beforehand, since the 13th Party Congress in 1987, in the spirit of promoting "inner-party democracy", the number of candidates up for election for both full members and alternate members have been greater than

1708-535: The Central Committee: Occasionally officials of vice-ministerial rank could also hold membership on the Central Committee, though only in rare and exceptional circumstances. For example, Ma Xingrui , the party chief of Shenzhen (as of 2015), was a member of the 18th Central Committee. While institutional rules has, since the 1980s, played a major role in the selection of Central Committee members, it does not guarantee that holders of

1769-770: The Chinese Communist Party The Central Committee is, formally, the "party's highest organ of authority" when the National Congress is not in a plenary session . According to the CCP's constitution , the Central Committee is vested with the power to elect the General Secretary and the members of the Politburo and its Standing Committee, as well as the Central Military Commission . It endorses

1830-476: The Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party, the Central Committee is tasked with "carrying out the decisions of the National Congress, leading the work of the party, and representing the party internationally." The Central Committee is therefore technically the "party's highest organ of authority" when the National Congress is not in session. The National Congress is convened only once every five years, so

1891-566: The General Secretary and the members of the Politburo, its Standing Committee, and the Central Military Commission. These elections take place in the form of confirmation votes; i.e., there is only one candidate, a delegate can choose to vote for or against or abstain for that candidate. In some instances write-in candidates may also be allowed. In practice, for important posts such as the General Secretary or

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1952-660: The Party Congress, and they in turn vote for the new Politburo, standing committee, and general secretary. The Central Committee has full members (委员 – weiyuan ) and alternate or candidate members (候补委员 – houbuweiyuan ). The practice of having "full" and "alternate" members is consistent with other Leninist parties in history, such as the Communist Party of the Soviet Union or the Communist Party of Vietnam . Members are elected by National Congresses through

2013-515: The Politburo Standing Committee, there is no known occasion since 1949 where the Central Committee voted against a candidate already vetted by the top party leadership in advance. The Central Committee also confirms membership of the Secretariat, the organ in charge of executing party policy, whose membership is determined through nomination by the Politburo Standing Committee. The Committee usually convenes at least once

2074-463: The Politburo, the Politburo Standing Committee, and the General Secretary. The second plenum, held in February or March of the following year, typically approves a list of candidates for state positions, as well as a plan to overhaul Party and State organizations, which are then approved during a National People's Congress (NPC) session held immediately afterwards. The third plenum, generally held in

2135-444: The ability for it to affect outcomes of national-level personnel decisions is limited, as that function has generally been, in practice, carried out by the Politburo and retired party elders who retain influence. Nonetheless, Central Committee plenums function as venues whereby policy is discussed, fine-tuned, and publicly released in the form of "resolutions" or "decisions". The Central Committee's role has varied throughout history. It

2196-481: The autumn of the year after the Party Congress, focuses on economic issues, and is generally the session when major economic and reform decisions are made and announced. The fifth plenum focuses on finalizing the upcoming five-year plan , which is then approved by the NPC in the following spring. The fourth and sixth plenums do not have a fixed theme, and usually focus on CCP ideology or Party building. The seventh plenum,

2257-478: The composition of the Secretariat and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection . It also oversees the work of various executive national organs of the CCP. The administrative activities of the Central Committee are carried out by the Central Committee's General Office . The General Office forms the support staff of the central organs that work on the Central Committee's behalf in between plenary sessions (plenums). The Committee usually convenes at least once

2318-732: The cultural system, the social system, party-building, and the discipline inspection system. In practice, the Xi-chaired commission outranks state administration decision-making organs, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the State Council . Despite its powerful influence, the commission is a Party body and does not have the formal authority to make law. Each year, the CCDR identifies key reform priorities within its designated domains. It deliberates on and approves strategic policies in this area, with

2379-467: The domain of a small group of elites at the very top of the party hierarchy. Since the 17th Party Congress, the Central Committee has seen an increase in the number of regional leadership figures. The 17th Central Committee formed with every province-level Party Secretary and Governor gaining a full seat on the Central Committee. The rise of regional party representation came at the expense of that of government ministries. Since Xi Jinping's rise to power at

2440-412: The drafting and implementing of policies being delegated to either government ministries or local branches of the commission. These other bodies submit reports to the central commission or the appropriate subgroups for further validation and guidance. After the process is complete, the finished draft policy document is submitted to the CCDR for formal approval, which is then deliberated and approved during

2501-556: The early stages of the Cultural Revolution , the Central Committee essentially ceased to function; it was convened in August 1966 (11th Plenum of the 8th CC) to cement decisions already made by Mao on launching the Cultural Revolution. Mao faced some opposition at the 11th Plenum but ultimately most delegates were goaded into ratifying Mao's decisions. Many members were politically disgraced or purged thereafter. The committee

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2562-418: The feasibility of major policy initiatives. It is also to analyze and collect data on the state of the economy and send related recommendations to the party leadership. The office is composed of several departments, each overseeing politics, economics, "party-building", philosophy and history, culture, international affairs, general affairs, and rural affairs. In 2007, a department focused on "social affairs"

2623-409: The founding of the People's Republic of China, the Central Committee gradually transformed from a revolutionary organ to a governing one, though again the day-to-day work and most political power resided with a few leaders, most notably the Politburo, then de facto chaired by Liu Shaoqi , and the Secretariat, then under Deng Xiaoping. Although the Central Committee was required to convene at least once

2684-553: The group was announced at the 3rd Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee in November 2013, which also approved a Decision of the CCP Central Committee on Comprehensively Deepening Reforms . On 30 December 2013, the Politburo announced that the group had been formed with Xi Jinping , the CCP's General Secretary and China's president, as its leader ( zuzhang ), and Li Keqiang , Liu Yunshan , and Zhang Gaoli as deputy leaders ( fuzuzhang ). Observers stated that this would mark

2745-524: The handful of elites in favour of "inner-party democracy" involving bodies such as the Central Committee. However, the Beidaihe meetings resumed in July 2007, when political deliberation took place in anticipation of the 17th Party Congress ; the same Bedaihe retreat also took place in 2011 in anticipation of the 18th Party Congress . This indicated that important personnel and policy decisions continued to be

2806-486: The incumbent Politburo and its Standing Committee. Since the 1980s membership patterns in the Central Committee have gradually stabilized. For example, provincial governors and party secretaries are almost guaranteed a seat on the Central Committee. The primary difference between full members and alternate members is that full members have voting rights. Alternate members attend Central Committee plenary sessions, and can presumably voice their views on issues, but do not have

2867-703: The last held before the end of a Central Committee's term, focuses on preparations for the upcoming Party Congress. The Central Committee houses three important party departments: (1) the Organization Department , (2) the Publicity Department , and (3) the United Front Work Department . It has a secretariat which performs routine tasks including arranging leadership's schedules and document flows. Central Committee members are elected every five years during

2928-647: The main advisors of Xi Jinping. Administratively, the office is at the same level as a ministry of state. Its former head Wang Huning, has been a member of the Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party since 2012, and prior to that, a member of the Secretariat. This accorded Wang a "deputy national leader" rank. Additionally, beginning in 2013, the Office of the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission

2989-402: The meeting and Xi's speech. The CCDR regularly reviews reports on the implementation, commonly submitted by local Comprehensively Deepening Reform Commissions. After the reports are presented, the CCDR issues instructions, usually leading to the implementation of new policies. The implementation of the CCDR's policy goals is delegated to six "special groups" within the commission. Each office has

3050-495: The number of available seats. Nominees for the Central Committee who receive the lowest number of votes from Party Congress delegates are thus unable to enter the Central Committee. At the 18th Party Congress, a total of 224 candidates stood for election for full membership for a total of 205 seats. A total of 190 candidates stood for election for a total of 171 alternate seats. This meant that 9.3% of full member candidates and 11.1% alternate member candidates were not elected. Since

3111-415: The number of votes received when they were elected at the previous Party Congress. Alternate members may be elevated to full members if a full member dies in office, resigns, or is removed from the body. Priority of ascension to full member status is given to the alternate member who received the highest number of votes in favour at the previous Party Congress. Membership changes, such as the expulsion of

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3172-632: The official hierarchy. Most of the commission's members are also members of the Politburo of the CCP, a 25-member central decision-making body. Four of the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee are also part of the group. The commission was originally established as the Central Leading Group for Comprehensively Deepening Reforms ( Chinese : 中央全面深化改革领导小组 ; pinyin : Zhōngyāng Quánmiàn Shēnhuà Gǎigé Lǐngdǎo Xiǎozǔ ). The decision to establish

3233-561: The policies agreed upon at the Politburo level. But the Central Committee does not, by convention, overturn policies decided at higher levels. The Central Committee is larger and has a somewhat more diverse ideological spectrum than the Politburo. Since its plenary sessions is a rare event that concentrates almost all of China's top leaders in one location, it could also be seen as a convenient venue for informal deal-making. Hu Jintao's administration (2002–2012) attempted to embrace collective leadership, as well as more "intra-party democracy"; Hu

3294-555: The policies of the Great Leap Forward, as well as the economic policies of the early 1960s. However, Mao used Central Committee meetings as a platform to project authority or legitimize decisions which have been made in advance, such as at the Lushan Conference of 1959, when the Central Committee ratified the decision to denounce Peng Dehuai , who had spoken out in opposition of the Great Leap Forward . During

3355-443: The right to vote. At party plenary sessions, members of the Politburo seats at the front of the auditorium or meeting hall, facing the rest of the Central Committee. Full members are ordered by protocol, and seated, according to " surname stroke order " ( xingshi bihua paiming ), an impartial ordering system that is roughly equivalent of alphabetizing the names. Alternate members follow a different protocol sequence: they are arranged by

3416-484: The year of the Party National Congress, another two held in the following year, and one held in each of the other three years. The first, second and seventh plenums generally deal with procedures around the five-yearly power transition process, containing no major policy announcements. The first plenum, held a day after the conclusion of a Party National Congress, elects the top leadership, including

3477-403: Was founded in 1927 as a successor organization to the "Central Executive Committee" ( 中央执行委员会 ), a group of party leaders charged with executing party work during the pre-revolutionary days of the CCP. Over the next several decades it served to confirm the party leadership lineup and legitimize military, strategic, and foreign relations decisions of the party. In practice, power was concentrated in

3538-535: Was merged with the "Central Rural Research Office", after which it took on its current name. The office was a major force behind crafting the ideologies of three successive administrations: the " Three Represents " of Jiang Zemin , the Scientific Outlook on Development of Hu Jintao , and the Chinese Dream of Xi Jinping . Wang Huning , who took charge of the office in 2002, is seen as one of

3599-502: Was nominated would be elected to the Central Committee. Despite experimenting with power separation on a broad scale in the 1980s, including the separation of party and state leadership positions, real decision-making power continued to reside in the hands of a dozen or so party elites, including party elders that formed the Central Advisory Commission (later abolished). For instance, the decision to crack down on

3660-431: Was not a strong "core" figure in the same sense as Mao or Deng Xiaoping. The Central Committee thus gained more prominence as a bona fide consultation body. In 2003, Hu also cancelled the traditional August leadership retreat at the coastal town of Beidaihe , while giving more media coverage to the Central Committee plenums held in the fall. This was seen as an indication that Hu wanted to eschew informal decision-making by

3721-596: Was then convened again in October 1968 (12th Plenum) to ratify the decision to expel then head of state Liu Shaoqi from the Party. At the 12th plenum, less than half the members actually attended, as many had fallen victim to the Cultural Revolution. In a letter to Mao "evaluating" the members of the Central Committee at the time, Kang Sheng wrote that some 70% of CC members were considered "traitors, spies, or otherwise politically unreliable". The Central Committee membership at

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