Scholars: Xi Consolidates Power as Purges Continues at China’s Fifth Plenum

Scholars in Taipei are assessing the implications of China’s Fifth Plenum, which saw the ruling Communist Party focus on governance, corruption and leadership. Attendance figures indicate that 33 senior officials, including 16 military members, were purged, while roughly a quarter of Central Committee members were absent. Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council warns that Beijing’s growing centralization of power could heighten cross-strait tension.