This week's closed-door gathering, known as the fifth plenum of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, comes roughly a year before Xi is widely expected to secure his fourth five-year term as the party's leader and personnel changes to key leadership bodies.
While Xi has consolidated his grip on power, analysts say the plenum will offer him an opportunity to further align what Chinese officials do with what Beijing wants.
"The plenum is a chance to ensure the new generations rising the ranks share Xi's assessment of the opportunities and risks China faces," said Ruby Osman, a senior policy adviser at London's Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Xi's anti-graft drive has been a defining feature of his rule since he came to power in 2012.
Purges of officials - including some viewed as his political rivals - have been carried out on a scale that led critics to argue the campaign was also used to consolidate his power.
But his focus has expanded to cracking down on underperforming cadres too.
In recent years, the number of officials punished for "formalism" and "bureaucratism" - misconduct such as dereliction of duty, inaction and reckless acts that seriously hinder development - has surged.
During the plenum, the central committee will discuss a draft policy decision on advancing "full and rigorous party self-governance", China's official Xinhua News Agency reported.
The push could make cadres more disciplined, effective and less corrupt.
The proposal reflects Xi's emphasis on the party's "self-revolution," a concept centred on the party reforming itself through efforts such as rooting out corruption and building ideological commitment.
Osman said Xi's disciplinary crackdowns are now aimed more at institutional longevity.
"It's less about purging elite rivals and more about building a disciplined system that can sustain Xi's political priorities across leadership cycles," she said.
Xi warned in January against "two-faced people" who might profess political loyalty while privately defying orders and doing as they please.
"During leadership transitions, we must keep our eyes sharp, elevate good cadres who are truly loyal and reliable, consistent in word and deed, and willing to take responsibility, and never allow 'two-faced people' or those driven by self-interest to slip through," Xi was quoted as saying.
The number of empty seats in the conference hall this week will help gauge how widespread Xi's purges have been.
The underlying theme of the fifth plenum is that it will be another opportunity for Xi to position himself for an unprecedented fourth term in office.
Xi, who removed presidential term limits in 2018, is viewed by some as the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao. He is widely expected to be confirmed as party leader for the next term in 2027.
