The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) held its annual plenum this week. The four-day gathering of top party officials was part pep rally and part policy incubator: It laid the groundwork for next year's Party Congress, which is held every five years. This week's meeting served another vital purpose: President Hu Jintao used it to consolidate his control of the party and to stamp out -- subtly, for sure, but unmistakably -- any opposition.
About 350 officials lead the 70-million member CCP. They gather annually to discuss policy and chart the overall direction of the country. The theme of this year's Plenum was "Building a harmonious society." It is the rhetorical formula that President Hu has developed during his tenure to guide policy. In simple terms, it means focusing on the disparities that have emerged in Chinese society, working to overcome them, and devoting more attention and care to those left behind as China embraces economic reform.
Mr. Hu's approach is a pointed contrast to that of his predecessor, Mr. Jiang Zemin, whose policies favored those who could best exploit the opportunities of the New China. The result was a yawning gap between the overwhelming majority of Chinese who are poor and the new rich, and increasing social tensions.