China's Communist Party schedules fifth plenary session for late October

Beijing will host the fifth plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party from Oct. 26 to Oct. 29, according to state media. The agenda, decided at a Politburo meeting led by Xi Jinping, centers on studying major issues related to the sustained advancement of rigorous party self-governance, reflecting new challenges in both the international and domestic arenas. The closed-door plenary, attended by about 200 Central Committee members, traditionally ratifies the party's principal policy goals.

This session marks the fifth convening since the 20th national Party congress in 2022 and is expected to be among the final gatherings before the next congress in 2027, where Xi is projected to seek a fourth term. The previous plenary in October 2025 dealt with the economy and the 15th Five-Year Plan.