Hu set the agenda for the session at a meeting of the powerful 24-member politburo, the ruling clique of Communist officals, on Monday.

The politburo had a day earlier passed a decision to strip Shanghai party secretary Chen Liangyu -- the city's top official -- of his post. Chen was also suspended from the politburo.

Chen's dismissal, the highest-level sacking of a government official in more than a decade, centers on the apparent misuse of up to 400 million dollars from Shanghai's 1.2-billion-dollar pension fund.

Analysts have said the delegates to the plenum are likely to vote on whether to formally strip Chen of his politburo status and possibly even kick him out of the party.

The punishment will reflect the severity of his wrongdoings, analysts have said.

Punishments of party officials are often announced at the conclusion of the plenum.

"We will investigate thoroughly and severely punish any party member who violates party discipline, no matter how high or how low his position," Gan Yisheng, vice head of the party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, told reporters in Beijing on Tuesday in regards to the Shanghai case.

Chen's removal has also been seen as a drive by President Hu to consolidate power ahead of a five-yearly Communist Party Congress set for late next year. Chen was regarded as an ally of Hu's predecessor, Jiang Zemin.

The congress is expected to approve a second term for Hu and agree to a raft of top level political appointments.

Up to 500 top Communist Party members are expected to attend the closed-door plenary session, which is regarded by the party as the top political event of the year.

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