At this year’s 20th Party Congress, observers are paying particular attention to attendees from China’s beleaguered private sector.

Aside from officials and political leaders, the nearly 2,300 delegates at the congress also include professionals from different sectors.

But as the fallout continues over Xi Jinping’s unprecedented crackdown on private enterprise, there’s speculation the number of non-state employees attending the congress could be shrinking — especially if the last few congresses are anything to go by.

Shrinking numbers: At the 18th Party Congress in 2012 — where Xi was appointed head of the Communist Party, replacing former leader Hu Jintao — there were 34 attendees from the private sector.

At the time, China’s economy was booming as it integrated more closely with the rest of the world. Just four years before, China had stunned the world with the extravagant Beijing Summer Olympics. 

But five years later at the 19th Party Congress in 2017, as Xi further consolidated power and purged political enemies, that number had fallen to 27.

Crackdown on capital: Then in 2020, Beijing launched a sweeping crackdown on some of the country’s biggest private enterprises, moving to restrict what it saw as overly powerful companies, especially in Big Tech.

But it’s come at a heavy cost. More than $1 trillion has been wiped off the market value of Alibaba and Tencent — the crown jewels of China’s tech industry — over the last two years. Sales growth in the sector has slowed, and tens of thousands of employees have been laid off, leading to record youth unemployment.

Murky numbers this year: So far there have been no state media reports or government statements on the number of attendees not employed by the state – or much coverage at all of the private sector’s significance or contribution to the economy, in contrast to previous congresses.

However, a glance at the full list of delegates shows there are several high-profile entrepreneurs, who had attended previous congresses, missing this year — such as equipment manufacturer Sany Group’s Chairman Liang Wengen.

And during Xi’s opening speech last Sunday, he emphasized the need to continue the party’s “anti-monopoly” crackdown and regulate “excessive incomes,” a sign that he will continue to get tough on big businesses and wealthy individuals.