The Chinese Communist Party seems to have kicked off its annual closed-door retreat in the coastal resort of Beidaihe, an informal gathering that fuels rumors every year about power struggles among the party’s high-ranking leaders, reports Reuters.
Beijing does not publicly confirm the holding of the meeting, but a hint that it has begun was the appearance on Monday of Cai Qi, the chief of staff and close collaborator of the Chinese president Xi Jinping, who met with researchers in Beidaihe.
The resort is located in Hebei province in northern China. According to analysts, in previous years such appearances have coincided with the summer retreat.
“From a historical perspective, the retreat has provided both incumbent leaders and those withdrawn from activity the opportunity to hold informal discussions and negotiate issues related to policies and appointments,” Neil Thomas, a researcher at the Asia Society Policy Institute, told Reuters.
However, as power within the party and in Xi’s hands becomes increasingly concentrated, “the space for genuine negotiations has shrunk,” argues Thomas.
The meeting of the Chinese leaders has been secret for 23 years
China has not officially recorded the summit meetings in the coastal city, located about an hour and a half east of Beijing by high-speed train, since 2003. That year, the practice of organizing collective work sessions during the summer was officially abolished.
However, the state press mentioned that the summer visits to Beidaihe by high-ranking officials in office and those retired have continued, allowing informal contacts. The retreats to the Chinese resort are compared to those of the American presidents at Camp David or with the meetings organized by the Kremlin at the Russian resort Sochi on the Black Sea.
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