China to Discuss First Revisions to Constitution Since 2004

(Bloomberg) -- China's leading policy makers plan to discuss next month a proposal to amend the national constitution for the first time since 2004, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

The decision was made on Wednesday at a Politburo meeting headed by President Xi Jinping, according to the report. It provided no details on the possible change to the constitution, which was first adopted in 1982 and revised four times. The party's Central Committee will discuss the amendments at a plenum some time in January.

Speculation has swirled that Xi might seek to stay in office beyond 2022 after he unveiled a new leadership line-up in October that didn't include a clear potential heir. Under the current national constitution, the president can only serve two five-year terms. There are no limits on Xi's two other key titles: Head of the party and military chief.

Any change involving term limits would require consensus among lawmakers, according to Ji Weidong, dean of Shanghai Jiao Tong University's KoGuan School of Law. Either way, he said a constitutional revision is needed to set up the new National Supervision Commission, an all-encompassing anti-graft body.

“The new supervision commission needs a constitutional basis for its power, as it involves a structural change in China's political system,” Ji said. The national constitution defines China's major state institutions, including the judiciary, the top prosecuting body and the State Council, or the cabinet.

Xi Power

Xi became one of China's most powerful leaders ever in October, when the Communist Party charter was revised to elevate him to a status that eluded his two immediate predecessors. Many of Xi's major initiatives of his first five years in power were added to the revised charter, from his anti-corruption campaign to his Belt-and-Road Initiative.

At an earlier two-day meeting that ended Dec. 26, members of China's Politburo each vowed to implement Xi's agenda two months after he mapped out an ambitious three-decade vision for the country. Xi said the priority for all Politburo members is to “aggressively” and “comprehensively” carry out tasks set out at the party congress in October, according to Xinhua.

‘Words Are Not Enough'

Each of the 25 Politburo members made a speech at the meeting in which they reflected on their own performance and pledged loyalty to the overall mission, according to a statement issued by Xinhua.

“Words are not enough while actual actions are needed,” Xi was quoted by Xinhua as saying. “Holding meetings and handing out papers are not enough while actual implementation is needed.”

The meeting on Wednesday also reviewed a work report from the party's top graft-busting agency, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and set the dates for the body's plenary meeting as Jan. 11-13. Leaders pledged to “seriously punish” disloyal party members, and crack down on vested interests and “clique-forming” behavior.

Xi on Tuesday called on Politburo members to set an example of self-discipline and to avoid granting privileges to their family members and close aides. His sweeping anti-corruption campaign has brought down former Politburo members, including Sun Zhengcai and Guo Boxiong.

Xi also urged the elite party body to have “a strong sense of urgency” while warning of “barriers and risks” both at home and abroad, according to the statement. Senior officials should also take the lead to “solve the most difficult problems,” he said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ting Shi in Hong Kong at tshi31@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Daniel Ten Kate at dtenkate@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard

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