BEIJING: China's ruling Communist Party will on Monday kick off four days of key closed-door discussions, formulating core economic strategy for coming years as growth flags and trade headwinds mount.
The gathering of the Central Committee, an elite body composed of around 200 members and 170 alternates, will be crucial in determining longstanding policy objectives in the world's second-largest economy.
Foreign media access to attending officials is highly restricted during the event, which typically opens and closes in Beijing's grandiose Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
The fourth such 'plenum' to be held during the current committee's 2022-2027 term, this session will focus on proposals for the 15th five-year plan on economic and social development, state media say.
That plan, which covers the period from next year until 2030, will play a central role in the pursuit of President Xi Jinping's core aims, including technological self-sufficiency and military and economic might.
The plenum, chaired by Xi, is scheduled to conclude on Thursday, after which authorities are expected to release a lengthy document summarising major outcomes.
The wide-ranging plan encompassing political, economic, social and environmental goals will then be approved in March by the legislature.
This month's meeting comes at an uncertain time for the Chinese economy, beset by sluggish domestic spending, a protracted crisis in the property sector and a turbulent trade war with the United States.
"While plenums generally attract less attention than other political events, it is during those plenums that major policies are discussed and being decided upon," wrote Teeuwe Mevissen, senior China economist at Rabobank, in a recent note.
"Given the sheer size of China's economy these decisions also impact the rest of the world," he said.