China to hold party conclave amid economic woes, US tariffs, and TikTok tensions
Beijing: China’s ruling Communist Party will convene its annual leadership conclave from October 20 to 23 to deliberate on the country’s next Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) and address mounting economic and geopolitical challenges, including the ongoing trade tensions with the United States, and the fallout from US President Donald Trump’s attempts to take control of Chinese tech assets such as TikTok.
An official statement released after a high-level meeting of the Political Bureau, presided over by President Xi Jinping, confirmed the dates and agenda of the upcoming plenary session. The meeting will bring together 370 senior party leaders from across the country.
Among the major topics on the agenda will be the formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which the Politburo said must address the “continued slowdown” in China’s economy, stagnating domestic consumption, overcapacity in emerging industries, particularly in the electric vehicle sector, and rising unemployment, which is reportedly hovering around 20 per cent.
The Politburo noted that major economic headwinds are being felt due to Trump’s tariff war, export restrictions, and wider global uncertainties. In response, Xi has been urging the party to adopt a “forward-looking approach” to prepare for a changing international landscape.
The draft of the five-year plan, once approved by the plenary session, will be submitted to the National People’s Congress (NPC) for final ratification in March next year.
The meeting will also reflect on the outcome of the recent Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, held in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1, which was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other regional leaders.
Modi’s visit — his first to China in seven years — was viewed as significant, particularly in light of recent India-US frictions over New Delhi’s continued oil trade with Russia. Modi and Xi held “in-depth talks” on the sidelines of the SCO summit in an effort to revive relations after the Eastern Ladakh military standoff.
The plenary will also come just a week before Xi’s scheduled participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea, where he is expected to hold talks with Donald Trump. The two leaders recently spoke by phone, and Trump later claimed that Xi had “approved” a US proposal to acquire a major share in TikTok, a claim that has raised tensions further, with Beijing viewing the app as a strategic asset.
China is also monitoring closely Trump’s outreach to Pakistan, its close ally. Recent meetings in Washington between Trump and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as well as Army Chief Asim Munir, have raised eyebrows in Beijing. It marks the first significant attempt by the US in years to re-engage deeply with Islamabad.
The plenary will take place against the backdrop of China’s largest military parade in years, held in Beijing to commemorate the 80th anniversary of its victory over Japanese aggression in World War II. The parade featured China’s most advanced military hardware and was attended by 26 foreign leaders, including Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Monday’s Politburo meeting also reviewed internal and external feedback on the proposed Five-Year Plan. The statement said, “The document will be revised accordingly,” following consultations.
The leadership stressed the need to “ensure that more benefits of modernisation are shared more fairly among all people” and called for coordinated efforts to balance development and security, with a focus on preventing and defusing risks in key areas.