China's ruling Communist Party will convene the fifth plenary session of its Central Committee in Beijing this October, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency citing a Politburo meeting on July 30, 2026.

The meeting will gather more than 300 full and alternate members of the Central Committee, the largest decision-making body within the party. This session, the fifth since the current Central Committee was formed in 2022, is set to "study several major issues concerning the sustained advancement of full and rigorous party self-governance," Xinhua reported.

The Politburo acknowledged "difficulties and challenges facing the economy" during its meeting and pledged to accelerate fiscal spending and implement "incremental policies" aimed at boosting economic growth in the second half of the year, following a worse-than-expected slowdown in the second quarter.

The party's self-governance efforts are said to face "many new situations and new challenges" due to changes in both international and national environments as well as internal party dynamics.

Typically, seven plenums are held between major party congresses, which occur every five years. While the fifth plenum usually focuses on the country's strategic blueprint, including the five-year plan, scheduling has been disrupted due to a delayed third plenum that was postponed until mid-2024.

Sources