China’s Third Plenum: A Brief Overview

Over the past three years, China has faced significant economic challenges, primarily due to a stagnant stock market, low bond yields, and poor consumer confidence. These issues have created a substantial gap between Xi Jinping’s long-term goals for enhancing China’s technological capabilities and national security and the short-term economic performance. The Third Plenum, concluding on July 18, was convened to address these challenges. While the meeting focused on high-level political agendas rather than specific economic policies, it aimed to set a direction for addressing the country’s economic difficulties.