Does the “Beidaihe meeting” actually take place, and why does this matter?

Does the “Beidaihe meeting” actually take place, and why does this matter?: While many are convinced of the existence of a secret annual high-level meeting in Chinese coastal resort Beidaihe, MERICS Senior Fellow Charles Parton says that the evidence points to the contrary, underlining Xi Jinping’s position of power. Beidaihe, a stopover for migratory birds on China’s Bohai Sea coast, is famous for its birdwatching. Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leaders and elders also migrate there each August, when China watchers get out their binoculars in an attempt to spot the CCP’s “secretive annual conclave”. The fact that “Agendas and attendees are never confirmed, and there is likely to be little to no indication in official media that the gathering is even taking place”1 has not dampened the enthusiasm of these “twitchers”. Many reputable newspapers see the “Beidaihe meeting” as an important moment in China’s political year. The New York Times spoke of “Xi and top officials and party elders….[being] expected to hold secret meetings in August in the seaside resort of Beidaihe.” Reuters described Beidaihe as the “site of a secretive annual summer party leadership conclave”, while The Guardian went as far as to say that “the [Pelosi] visit happened right before the Beidaihe conference – a secretive gathering of Chinese Communist party elites where major policy decisions are made.” But perhaps the prize goes to the think tank that co...