What Did the Chinese Politburo Learn in 2025?

Reviewing 2025 Politburo Group Study Sessions

I want to thank you all for subscribing. Your likes and sharing of this channel are my biggest motivation to keep posting. Wish you all the best in 2026. If you have any inquiries, don’t hesitate to send me an email. At the end of 2025, I’d like to continue the way I took last year by reviewing the group study sessions of the Politburo held this year. The official readouts of these sessions offer windows for us to observe what issues China’s current leadership is most focused on. In general, the topics reflect agenda priorities, the leaders’ statements reveal governance thinking, and the timing is more about the pace at which governance ideas are translated into policies.

As I mentioned last year, Politburo group study sessions typically feature experts from universities or research institutes (and occasionally from key government bodies) giving presentations on specific topics. Politburo members listen, discuss, and finally, Xi delivers a concluding speech, offering intra-Party guidance on the issue and signaling the direction for what comes next. The value of the official readouts lies in the keywords that are repeatedly emphasized, changes in phrasing, what mechanisms are to be established, and the pathways for implementation.

In 2025, the Politburo held a total of five group study sessions, fewer than the seven held last year. The themes were: Safe China and the holistic approach to national security (February); AI development and regulation (April); Implementing the spirit of the eight-point decision and establishing long-term mechanisms to address the four forms of decadence (June); The Sinicization of religion (September); and Cyberspace governance (November).

The 19th group study session, held on February 28 (officially reported on March 1), focused on “Building a Higher-Level Safe China and the Holistic Approach to National Security.”

Lecturer: Li Yan李燕 (Vice President and Professor of Southwest University of Political Science and Law)

Key Takeaways from the Official Readout:

• Four “Higher-Level” Goals: Emphasized continuous efforts toward “a more secure nation, a more orderly society, more effective governance, and greater public satisfaction,” aiming to elevate Safe China to a higher level.

• Integrating Development and Security: Stated that “development is of paramount importance, and so is security,” requiring both development and security in practice.

• Shifting Public Security Governance Forward: Called for transforming the public security governance model toward “preventive measures,” specifically mentioning disaster prevention and relief, workplace safety, food and drug safety, cybersecurity, and AI security.

• Approaches to Social Governance: Improve the social governance system and build a social governance community; uphold and develop the “Fengqiao Model” in the new era, advance the rule of law in handling public complaints, and resolve conflicts effectively.

• Organizational Guarantee: Stressed the Party’s leadership over national security

Personal Observations:
This session placed “Safe China”平安中国 within the framework of the “holistic approach to national security”总体国家安全观 and included “AI security” as part of public governance. The wording in the readout indicates that security related to emerging technologies has been integrated into the public security governance agenda.

This perspective was reflected in subsequent policies throughout 2025. AI governance became a key focus for the Cyberspace Administration, with regulations becoming increasingly detailed. For instance, the “AI Security Governance Framework 2.0” released in September embodied a shift from “post-incident handling” to pre-risk prevention and established ethical red lines such as protection of life and health, personal dignity, social equity, and minors. On December 30, the Cyberspace Administration issued the “Interim Measures for the Management of AI Personified Interaction Services (Draft for Comment),” further specifying regulations for personified AI services. These developments closely align with the “preventive” direction emphasized in this Politburo study session, demonstrating a trajectory toward a more institutionalized governance.

April 25 (Report Published on April 26) - Twentieth Session: Strengthening the Development and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence

Lecturer: Zheng Nanning (Professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University)

Key Takeaways from the Report:

• Strategic Positioning: Artificial intelligence is defined as a strategic technology driving a new wave of scientific, technological, and industrial transformation.

• System and Pathway: Emphasis on “fully leveraging the advantages of the new nationwide system,” upholding self-reliance and self-improvement, focusing on application-oriented development, and promoting the healthy and orderly advancement of AI toward being “beneficial, safe, and equitable.”

• Addressing Weak Links and Key Breakthroughs: Identified gaps in foundational theories and core technologies; called for concerted efforts to overcome critical challenges in high-end chips, foundational software, and other core technologies, with the aim of building an autonomous, controllable, and collaboratively operating AI foundational software and hardware system.

• Integration and Key Elements: Highlighted advantages in data resources, industrial systems, application scenarios, and market potential; proposed establishing “an enterprise-led collaborative innovation system integrating industry, academia, research, and application”; called for coordinated advancement in computing infrastructure development and deepened data utilization, sharing, and openness.

• Policy and Talent: Advocated comprehensive use of policies on intellectual property, fiscal and taxation measures, government procurement, and infrastructure openness; emphasized “strengthening sci-tech finance”; promoted AI education across all academic stages and general public awareness, while improving research support, career development, and evaluation mechanisms.

• Risk Governance Cycle: Urged accelerated efforts to formulate and improve relevant laws, regulations, policies, application standards, and ethical guidelines, and to establish systems for technical monitoring, risk warning, and emergency response to ensure AI safety, reliability, and controllability.

• International Dimension: Proposed that AI can serve as an international public good; advocated international cooperation and support for enhancing capabilities in the Global South; promoted alignment of governance rules and technical standards to form a global governance framework and standardized norms.

Personal Observations:
The report’s key terminology remains highly consistent: on one hand, there is “self-reliance and self-improvement” (foundational theories, methods, tools, high-end chips, and foundational software), and on the other, “application-oriented development” (scenarios, industrial integration, computing power, and data development and sharing). This type of “dual-wheel drive” phrasing typically emphasizes both the pursuit of technological breakthroughs and the delivery of visible, tangible outcomes.

The parallel mentions of “beneficial, safe, and equitable,” “safe, reliable, and controllable,” and “monitoring–warning–emergency response” suggest that the AI agenda is both about industrial policy and advancing risk-averse governance.

June 30 - Twenty-First Session: Implementing the Spirit of the Eight-Point Decision / Long-Term Mechanism for Addressing the “Four Forms of Decadence”（formalism, bureaucratism, hedonism, and extravagance）

Lecturer: Zhao Baoguo (Director of the Party Conduct and Government Integrity Supervision Office, Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission)

Key Takeaways from the Report:

• Theme and Timing: Held around the July 1 Party Founding Day, the session focused on “improving the long-term mechanism for implementing the spirit of the Central Committee’s eight-point decision and addressing the ‘four forms of decadence’.” The eight-point decision was emphasized as a signature measure for governing the Party with strict discipline in the new era.

• The “Five Further Implementations”: Advancing the Party’s self-reform requires further implementation in the following areas: raising awareness, strengthening Party spirit, standardizing the exercise of power, enforcing strict supervision and discipline, and fulfilling the responsibility of governing the Party with strict discipline.

• Regulating the Exercise of Power: Improve mechanisms that integrate the authorization, use, and oversight of power, ensuring clarity, transparency, and traceability. Strictly enforce institutional regulations, uphold democratic centralism, and oversee the entire process of power exercise.

• Strict Supervision and Discipline Enforcement: Emphasized resolute handling of violations of discipline and law; integrate intra-Party supervision with public oversight, valuing the role of public and media supervision as “forward outposts”; stressed “addressing both unhealthy work styles and corruption simultaneously,” signaling unwavering strictness.

• Chain of Responsibility: A complete responsibility chain comprising the principal responsibility, oversight responsibility, first-in-command responsibility, and “dual responsibilities” (both professional and Party conduct responsibilities) was outlined.

September 29 – Twenty-Second Session: Systematically Advancing the Sinicization of Religion in China

Lecturer: Zhang Xunmou (Director of the Religious Research Center, United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee)

Key Takeaways from the Official Summary:

• General Requirements: Drawing from historical experience and grounded in the practical realities of religious work, the session emphasized a systematic approach. It called for strengthening institutional and normative development, comprehensive governance, and grassroots-level foundational efforts to systematically advance the Sinicization of religion, guiding religions to adapt to the socialist society.

• Significance Stated: The summary highlighted that advancing the Sinicization of religion contributes to “religious harmony, ethnic unity, social stability, and the nation’s enduring peace and security.”

• Value Guidance and the “Five Identifications”: Guided by core socialist values, efforts should be made to foster among religious figures and believers a correct understanding of the state, history, ethnicity, culture, and religion, continuously strengthening the “five forms of identification” and encouraging their active participation in the modernization drive of Chinese-style socialism.

• Cultural Pathway: Healthy religious heritage should be “rooted in Chinese soil and enriched by Chinese culture.” Efforts should be made to integrate religions with China’s fine traditional culture, enhancing a sense of identification with Chinese culture.

• Self-Building within Religious Circles: Support and guidance should be provided to reflect Chinese characteristics and meet the demands of the times in doctrines, regulations, management systems, rituals, customs, and behavioral norms, thereby improving the capacity for self-education, self-management, and self-discipline.

• Rule-of-Law Governance: The summary emphasized that managing religious affairs in accordance with the law is the fundamental approach. It called for improving laws, regulations, and policies, conducting legal education and awareness campaigns, promoting strict law enforcement, and elevating the legal governance of religious work.

Some personal takes:

The news on July 29, two months ago, that Shaolin temple’s CEO Shi Yongxin was accused of embezzlement and inappropriate relationships with women has already become a representative case of managing religious affairs in accordance with the law. However, I believe the core focus of this meeting remains on emphasizing the “Sinicization” of religion. In a sense, this echoes the recent proposition of the “second integration”—the integration of Marxism with China’s fine traditional culture. This also implies that all religions introduced into China must undergo a process of “Sinicization,” adapting and integrating with China's national context and culture.

November 28 (Official Summary Released on November 29) – Twenty-Third Session: Long-Term Mechanisms for Cyberspace Ecosystem Governance

Lecturer: Shi Jianzhong (Professor at China University of Political Science and Law)

Key Takeaways from the Official Summary:

• Positioning and Objectives: Cyberspace ecosystem governance is a critical task in building a strong cyber nation. Long-term mechanisms must be improved to enhance the foresight, precision, systematicity, and coordination of governance, fostering a clean cyberspace.

• Experience and Principles (“Five Upholds”): Uphold Party leadership, put the people first, maintain integrity while innovating, safeguard the rule of law, and adopt a systematic approach.

• Governance Framework and Responsibilities: Departments at all levels must reinforce their political and leadership responsibilities in managing and governing the internet. Guidance for platforms, self-media, and multi-channel networks should be enhanced to encourage them to shoulder social responsibilities and become disseminators of positive energy.

• Content Supply and Core Values: Emphasize shaping cyberspace with positive voices, core values, and contemporary ethos. Deepen the online promotion of the Party’s innovative theories and advocate core socialist values. Mainstream media should play a demonstrative and leading role in providing high-quality content.

• Systematic Projects and Comprehensive Measures: Mobilize all stakeholders and comprehensively employ educational, administrative, and legal means. Promote the alignment of administrative oversight with industry self-regulation. Coordinate efforts in legislation, law enforcement, judiciary, and legal awareness.

• “Daring to Take a Stand” Against Malpractices: Resolutely combat cyberspace malpractices, sever profit chains and industrial links, and eradicate their breeding grounds. Use these efforts to identify weaknesses and address shortcomings.

• New Technological Variables: Encourage the development and application of new internet and information technologies. Enhance hierarchical and classified security supervision to strengthen defenses against cybersecurity and data security threats.

Some Personal Observations:

This session focuses more on domestic internet governance in China, continuing the perspective that online platforms must not only serve commercial interests but also shoulder their due social responsibilities. In my view, the core lies in reaffirming the goal of “fostering a network social mentality characterized by self-respect, confidence, rationality, composure, and positivity.” This may suggest that the “Winnology”(赢学)- a narrative that attempts to interpret any and all traces as evidence of “China winning” is not favored by policymakers.

This may also explain why the government decided to intervene in incidents like the "Chigua Mengzhu" controversy in December, where it moved to unequivocally counter the online narrative promoting a "Han-centric" interpretation of history (such as the "1644 perspective") and its associated chauvinistic ideology. It’s trying to shape narratives towards the above-stated constructive social mentality, discouraging excessively triumphalist interpretations that undermine rational public sentiment.