Online Media Briefing: The 4th Plenum and the next Five-Year Plan

On October 20, 2025, high-ranking officials, policy makers and military leaders of China will gather for a meeting that will chart the course for the country in the years to come: the fourth plenary session of the Central Committee of the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will convene in Beijing to discuss – and likely endorse the next, the 15th Five-Year Plan.

The Five-Year Plan will officially be adopted at the next National People’s Congress early in 2026 – and it will be crucial for determining China’s politics and economy at a time where Beijing faces domestic and international pressures (low domestic consumption, overcapacities, global trade and armed conflicts). At the fourth plenum, the CCP leaders will aim to demonstrate stability, not least because President Xi Jinping is set to meet President Donald Trump just a week later in South Korea.

In our briefing, MERICS experts presented their views on what to watch and what to expect from the plenum and the next Five-Year Plan.

Speakers:
Katja Drinhausen, Head of the Politics and Society Research Team, MERICS
Alexander Brown, Senior Analyst, Research Team on Chinas Economy and Industry, MERICS

Moderator:
Claudia Wessling, Director Communications and Publications, MERICS

You can watch the recording here:

You can find a version of the presentation as a PDF below: