China's ruling Communist Party commenced its so-called third plenum on Monday, a major meeting held roughly once every five years to map out the general direction of the country's long-term social and economic policies. Its Central Committee convened the plenary session, or plenum, the third since its members were elected during the party's last congress in 2022, to deliberate on a key policy document on deepening reforms and advancing China's modernisation.
The closed-door meeting presided by Xi Jinping, head of the party's Central Committee, will end on Thursday with a plan to lay out China's policy direction for the next five years and beyond.
The plenum kicked off as China reported its slowest rate of
economic growth in April-June since the first quarter of 2023, weighed down by a protracted property down-spiral and weak demand from cautious consumers.
