[News Terms] China's Policy Ranking Set by the '20th 3rd Plenary Session'

The US-China Summit Scheduled for the 15th Delayed
Likely to Take Place No Earlier Than Early Next Month

'The 20th Central Committee's 3rd Plenary Session' is an abbreviation for the 3rd plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China holds a party congress every five years and usually convenes seven plenary sessions in between. At the 1st and 2nd plenary sessions (1st and 2nd Plenary Sessions), the party leadership is elected, while at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th plenary sessions (3rd, 4th, and 5th Plenary Sessions), the leadership decides on major policies and personnel matters to be implemented during the term. The 6th and 7th plenary sessions focus on ideological consolidation and preparation for the next party congress.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) is greeting representatives of institutions and organizations selected as the 'Fengqiao Model' in Beijing on the 6th. The 'Fengqiao Experience' is a community-involved public security management method introduced in Fengqiao Town, Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province in the 1960s, which Mao Zedong highly praised 60 years ago.
[Photo by Xinhua, Beijing / Yonhap News]

Starting from the 3rd Plenary Session, these meetings are held approximately once a year, all conducted behind closed doors, typically in October or November of the year following the formation of a new Central Committee at the party congress. Since 1978, the 3rd Plenary Sessions have been held in October or early November, except for 2018. The 19th 3rd Plenary Session was delayed by more than three months and held in February 2018 due to preparations for constitutional amendments to enable President Xi Jinping's long-term leadership.

At the 1st plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held last October, the party's highest decision-making body, the Central Committee, elected seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee, including General Secretary Xi Jinping.

At the 2nd plenary session held last February, the leadership recommended for the next five years was finalized, including the State Council, which is equivalent to the cabinet, the National People's Congress (NPC), which functions as the legislature, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a state advisory body. They also reviewed and approved reforms of party and government institutions.

The Hong Kong-based English-language daily newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on the 13th that the 20th 3rd Plenary Session, where the Chinese leadership will present policy priorities and directions, is expected to be held no earlier than early next month. SCMP analyzed that this timing reflects the need for time to prepare for the upcoming US-China summit scheduled for the 15th and to seek economic recovery measures.

SCMP stated, "Since the schedule for the 3rd Plenary Session was not announced at the Central Politburo's monthly meeting at the end of last month, it has become clear that 'this year's 3rd Plenary Session will be held later than usual,'" and predicted that it would be held "no earlier than early next month."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.