China's Communist Party Central Committee holds key plenum

China's ruling Communist Party began its fifth plenum in Beijing on Monday, October 26, a secretive closed-door convention of the highest-ranking officials from the party's Central Committee. The meeting, involving approximately 300 members, runs until Thursday and aims to deliberate major issues about "sustained advancement of full and rigorous party ⁠self-governance". Analysts view the plenum as potentially the last major party gathering before its 2027 leadership reshuffle, offering President Xi Jinping an opportunity to shore up authority and enforce ideological uniformity. Past plenums have been held under tight security at the Jingxi Hotel in western Beijing. A significant plenum in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping is noted for initiating China's economic reforms.