New Delhi: In a high-stakes chess move amid brewing trade storms with Donald Trump’s America, China’s Communist Party has anointed Xi Jinping as the unshakeable “core” leader and greenlit a bold five-year blueprint to forge an ironclad self-reliant economy.
The four-day Fourth Plenum, wrapping up in secrecy at Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel on October 23, wasn’t just about paperwork — it was a defiant signal that the dragon is gearing up for global showdowns, purging corrupt ranks, and eyeing socialist supremacy by 2035.
As whispers of Xi-Trump talks swirl ahead of the APEC summit, this gathering reveals a China doubling down on tech autonomy to dodge tariff torpedoes.
At 72, Xi— now the sole leader post-Mao Zedong to clinch a third presidential term — emerged stronger than ever. The 370 elite delegates hailed his “core” status in the party and military, urging unwavering unity under his vision of “socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.”
This ideological anchor steers the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), a 5,000-word manifesto prioritising domestic market muscle, scientific leaps, and a revamped workforce. With opportunities blooming but risks — think escalating US trade wars — looming large, the plan mandates “new development paradigms” like high-end tech indigenisation, echoing Xi’s “Made in China 2025” redux.
No plenum passes without Xi’s anti-graft hammer falling. In a purge underscoring his grip, No. 2 general He Weidong was ousted for corruption, replaced by hardline enforcer Zhang Shengmin, head of the military’s graft-busting drive launched in 2012. Eight other top brass faced expulsion, their Central Committee slots vacated to inject fresh, loyal blood. The state media framed it as a “cleansing” for “high-quality development.”
The finale? A rallying communique imploring party faithful to internalise Xi’s thought, blending Maoist echoes with modern might.
With Beijing bracing for external tempests, this plenum paints a picture of a fortress China: innovative, insulated, and Xi-led. Global markets, take note — the next five years could redefine the economic battlefield.