Key facts
- The Communist Party ordered the election of 2,360 delegates to its 21st national congress, Xinhua reported.
- The party set an end-of-June 2027 deadline for the delegate elections.
- Delegates will be elected by 38 electoral units nationwide.
- The congress is scheduled for the second half of 2027 in Beijing.
- Political loyalty is a central requirement for candidates, according to Xinhua.
China's Communist Party has ordered the election of 2,360 delegates to its 21st national congress, setting an end-of-June 2027 deadline and making political loyalty a central requirement for candidates, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
The congress is scheduled for the second half of 2027 in Beijing, following a decision by the party's 20th Central Committee at its fifth plenary session. Delegates will be elected by 38 electoral units nationwide.
An official explanation published by the Chinese government on November 8 said the selection process would conclude by the end of June 2027 and that candidates would be assessed on political qualifications, integrity, conduct and their ability to represent different sectors. The 2,360 delegates are expected to represent more than 101 million party members and over 5.4 million party organizations, according to the explanation.
The notice calls for the election to prioritize political standards and include candidates from the economy, science and technology, national defense, law enforcement, education, culture, healthcare, sports and social administration. It also calls for appropriate representation of women and ethnic minority party members, as well as model workers, farmers and professionals.
The election will follow a five-stage process: nomination, assessment by electoral units, preparation of preliminary candidate lists, formation of formal candidate lists and the final election. The number of candidates must exceed the number of available seats by more than 15 percent, according to the official explanation.
The Central Committee has also emphasized strict electoral discipline, with the process intended to prevent vote-buying, improper lobbying and other violations. Candidate qualifications will be examined, with attention to political stance, professional conduct and personal integrity.