PARTY PLENUM IN MID-OCTOBER

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIJING 019406

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV CH
SUBJECT: PARTY PLENUM IN MID-OCTOBER


REF: FBIS CPP20060912715031

CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL INTERNAL UNIT CHIEF SUSAN THORNTON,
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (C) THIS YEAR'S COMMUNIST PARTY PLENUM IS LIKELY TO BE
HELD IN MID-OCTOBER, BASED ON A CREDIBLE HONG KONG MEDIA
REPORT AND THE PRC'S POSTPONEMENT OF SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL'S
VISIT TO BEIJING, SCHEDULED FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 9.
ACCORDING TO THE SEPTEMBER 12 WEN WEI PO, A PRC-OWNED HONG
KONG NEWSPAPER THAT HAS OFTEN SERVED AS THE MAINLAND'S
MOUTHPIECE, THE PLENUM IS LIKELY TO START IN MID-OCTOBER.
MEANWHILE, ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS AND
THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON, NO SENIOR PRC OFFICIALS
WILL BE AVAILABLE TO MEET WITH SENATOR HAGEL THE WEEK OF
OCTOBER 9 BECAUSE OF AN "IMPORTANT PARTY MEETING." ALTHOUGH
THE POLITBURO ANNOUNCED IN JULY THAT THE PLENUM WOULD BE HELD
IN OCTOBER, THE WEN WEI PO PIECE AND THE POSTPONEMENT OF
SENATOR HAGEL'S TRIP ARE THE FIRST CREDIBLE INDICATIONS OF
THE MEETING'S ACTUAL DATES. THE SPECIFIC DATES SHOULD BE
ANNOUNCED OFFICIALLY AFTER THE NEXT POLITBURO MEETING IN LATE
SEPTEMBER. END SUMMARY.

HONG KONG MEDIA SPECULATION ON PLENUM DATES
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2. (C) THE PRC-OWNED HONG KONG NEWSPAPER, WEN WEI PO, WHICH
HAS OFTEN SERVED AS THE MAINLAND'S MOUTHPIECE, REPORTED ON
SEPTEMBER 12 THAT THE SIXTH PLENARY SESSION OF THE 16TH CPC
CENTRAL COMMITTEE IS EXPECTED TO OPEN IN MID-OCTOBER, AFTER
THE WEEK-LONG NATIONAL DAY HOLIDAYS THAT BEGIN ON OCTOBER 1.
THE WEN WEI PO PIECE FURTHER HINTED THAT THE PLENUM WOULD NOT
BEGIN BEFORE OCTOBER 11, DUE TO THE PLANS OF ZENG PEIYAN,
VICE PREMIER AND POLITBURO MEMBER, TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE IN
SHENYANG OCTOBER 8-10. THIS REPORT IS SIGNIFICANT, BASED ON
WEN WEI PO'S WELL-KNOWN POSITION AS A MAINLAND MOUTHPIECE,
AND ITS PAST PRACTICE OF "LEAKING" NEWS OF IMPORTANT PARTY
EVENTS IN ADVANCE.

POSTPONEMENT OF SENATOR HAGEL'S TRIP
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3. (C) MEANWHILE, CHINESE EMBASSY OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON ON
SEPTEMBER 12 TOLD SENATOR CHUCK HAGEL'S OFFICE THAT THE
SENATOR SHOULD RESCHEDULE HIS VISIT TO BEIJING, PLANNED FOR
THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 9, BECAUSE NO SENIOR PRC OFFICIALS WOULD
BE AVAILABLE DUE TO A "PARTY MEETING." SEPARATELY, A STAFFER
ON THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
TOLD POLOFF TODAY THAT "AN IMPORTANT PARTY MEETING THE WEEK
OF OCTOBER 9" PRECLUDES SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS FROM MEETING
WITH HAGEL.

...MEANS PLENUM WEEK OF OCTOBER 9
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4. (C) THESE TWO EVENTS SUGGEST THE PLENUM IS LIKELY TO BEGIN
SOMETIME THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 9, FOLLOWING THE WEEK-LONG
NATIONAL HOLIDAY THAT BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1. THE POLITBURO
ANNOUNCED IN JULY THAT THE PLENUM WOULD BE HELD THIS OCTOBER,
WITH A FOCUS ON BUILDING A "HARMONIOUS SOCIETY," BUT USUALLY
DOES NOT SPECIFY DATES UNTIL SHORTLY BEFORE THE PLENUM.
BASED ON PAST PRACTICE, THE SPECIFIC DATES WILL BE ANNOUNCED
OFFICIALLY AFTER THE NEXT POLITBURO MEETING IN LATE
SEPTEMBER. MEDIA CONTACTS HAVE SPECULATED THAT THIS YEAR'S
PLENUM WILL LAST 3-4 DAYS.
RANDT