China's Top Discipline Body Convenes Sixth Plenum, Elects Two Deputy Heads

The 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) held its sixth plenary session in Beijing on August 22, 2026. Chaired by CCDI Secretary Li Xi and attended by 116 commission members, the plenum reviewed discipline inspection and supervision work for the first half of 2026 and outlined priorities for the remainder of the year. The meeting emphasized political supervision, strict discipline surrounding leadership transitions, and grassroots corruption rectification. The commission also elected Zhao Shiyong and Zhang Zhong as new deputy secretaries.

The plenum provides a snapshot of Beijing's mid-year disciplinary priorities, confirming continued institutional pressure against graft alongside leadership changes within China's top anti-corruption apparatus. By explicitly highlighting the enforcement of discipline during leadership transitions, the leadership signals zero tolerance for political lobbying, factionalism, or misconduct as regional and institutional rotations progress.

China's highest anti-graft authority, the 20th Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Chinese Communist Party, convened its sixth plenary session in Beijing on August 22, 2026, according to an official communique published by state media. The meeting was presided over by the CCDI Standing Committee and attended by 116 members of the central commission. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Secretary of the CCDI, delivered a keynote address to the assembly. According to the communique, the plenary session focused on studying and implementing Xi Jinping's Thought on Party Building, describing it as a systemic theoretical distillation of the Party's self-reform and full, rigorous governance. The meeting underscored that discipline inspection and supervisory agencies must resolutely uphold the Party Central Committee's centralized and unified leadership while pursuing anti-corruption work tailored to Chinese conditions. The session conducted a formal review of discipline inspection and supervision work carried out in the first half of 2026 and mapped out operational priorities for the second half of the year. Key requirements outlined include: 1. Strengthening political supervision and deepening political inspection tours across departments and localities. 2. Strictly enforcing discipline regarding leadership transitions and term reshuffles to ensure political stability and compliance. 3. Deepening targeted rectifications of corruption and misconduct occurring at the grassroots level directly impacting the public. 4. Advancing the institutional initiative to standardize, regularize, and legally codify discipline inspection and supervision practices. In accordance with the Party Constitution, the plenary session elected Zhao Shiyong as Deputy Secretary of the CCDI. It also elected Zhang Zhong as a member of the CCDI Standing Committee and as a Deputy Secretary of the CCDI, finalizing key leadership additions to the supervisory organ.