MERICS Briefing – “CCP Central Committee Fourth Plenum and the 15th Five-Year Plan”

On Monday, October 27, 12:00-13:00 (CET), MERICS held a digital briefing for its Members and key stakeholders on the Communist Party’s Fourth Plenum and preparations for the 15th Five-Year Plan.

As the Fourth Plenary Session of the CCP’s Central Committee unfolds in Beijing this week, significant decisions are being deliberated that will shape the trajectory of China’s political, economic and social priorities. While a lot of groundwork has already been done on the upcoming 15th Five-Year Plan, it remains work-in-progress and both domestic and international developments and dynamics will be discussed and can reshape the priorities in significant ways. The plenum may also bring some personnel decisions, especially in the military realm. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for the CCP leadership to project unity, stability and resolve ahead of General Secretary Xi Jinping's meeting with US-President Donald Trump in South Korea next week.

MERICS experts Katja Drinhausen and Alexander Brown briefed the participants on the central signals and outcomes of the Fourth Plenum, including the party’s approach to social governance and stability, evolving developments around national and economic security, renewed commitments to social policy, adjustments to industrial policy tools and China’s expanding international ambitions.

The event took place online via Teams.