First published: Engelsberg Ideas, 24 October 2025
In the last week, the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) convened and concluded an important political meeting, the consequences of which will take time to assess. The so-called Fourth Plenum’s principal tasks were to approve both the 15th Five Year Plan (FYP, 2026-30), which will be unveiled next March at the National People’s Congress, and key personnel changes. The latter took on an additional frisson in the wake of an expanding purge of the high command of the People’s Liberation Army, with nine senior officers – most of whom were members of the Central Committee, and one of whom was a Politburo member – expelled very recently from the military and the party.
While we may attempt to read the runes on this conclave, especially as they involve the hierarchy of the party and Xi Jinping himself, getting the faltering economy right remains a burning issue. Read on…..https://engelsbergideas.com/notebook/chinas-economic-playbook-needs-a-rewrite/
