China’s ruling Communist Party has set a date for a key annual conclave in October, with a main focus on deliberating the next five-year plan for the country’s economic, political and social goals amid continued tension with the United States.
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The announcement came after a meeting of the Politburo on Wednesday that set the tone for the coming fourth plenary session to be attended by more than 370 Central Committee members of the party elite.
The much-anticipated plenum will be held in Beijing, according to the official Xinhua news agency. No specific date was announced.
In instructions on the new blueprint’s formulation, President Xi Jinping said in May that the party’s central leadership was “organising the drafting of a proposal for the 15th five-year plan”. A one-month online public consultation on the formulation of the plan was also launched in May.
According to official rules, the new five-year plan covering 2026-2030 must be endorsed by a plenary session of the party, after which it will be submitted to the annual legislative session in March for a final endorsement.
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China continues to face external uncertainties as it remains locked in a trade and tech rivalry with the United States.
While Chinese and US negotiators have reached a series of agreements to halt an all-out trade war, most observers believe a protracted trade, tech and geopolitical competition between the world’s two largest economies will continue to intensify.
