TFF • Transnational Foundation & Jan Oberg

TFF • Transnational Foundation & Jan Oberg

Home
Podcast
Notes
Chat
📌 TFF elsewhere
🎥 YouTube/Vimeo Censor
🎥 Video collections
Archive
About

Share this post

China Up Close
China Up Close
China’s Third Plenum Explained

China’s Third Plenum Explained

Li Jingjing's avatar
Doug Rooney's avatar
Li Jingjing
and
Doug Rooney
Jul 24, 2024
15

Share this post

China Up Close
China Up Close
China’s Third Plenum Explained
7
2
Share
Cross-post from China Up Close
This is an informative report from a hugely important event that no mainstream media in the West has bothered to tell you about. TFF gladly disseminate such important materials to reduce involuntary ignorance - just a little bit. -
TFF Transnational Foundation

One of the most important meetings on the Chinese political calendar, the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), has just wrapped up. So what was decided and why is it important?

The third plenum was held from July 15 to 18, 2024, in Beijing, capital of China. Photo: Xinhua

What is the Third Plenum?

China has a major national congress every five years. One of the most important moments during the Congress is the election of the Central Committee - this is essentially the governing body of China between the convening of different Congresses. The current Central Committee was elected at the last Congress in 2022.

The Central Committee will usually host 7 big meetings, called plenums, in the 5 year gap between Congress. These meetings are for Central Committee members to discuss and vote on different issues facing China.

Traditionally, the third plenum deals with major economic issues - for example, it is the decisions made at the third plenum in December 1978 that is usually considered the beginning of China’s Reform and Opening period.    

What Was Decided At the Third Plenum?

This year’s third plenum was attended by 199 members and 165 alternative members of the Central Committee. Also in attendance were several leading department officials who sat as non-voting members.

The major economic and social goals for China to achieve by 2035 were set out in the third plenum communique. These were:

  • To finish building a high-standard socialist market economy in all respects

  • To further improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics

  • To generally modernize the system and capacity of governance

  • To basically realize socialist modernization

But what will this mean in practice?

What Does It Mean?

The big take-away from the third plenum is a commitment to continuity. China has a plan for economic development, and the Central Committee believes that this plan is working. What remains for the government, then, is to refine and perfect that plan while inoculating China against what the communique calls “black swan” events: unexpected global shocks like the Covid-19 Pandemic.

One of the major areas of focus is the uneven development and regional inequality within China. The third plenum wants to facilitate a more even economic development and reduce rural poverty. This will not come as a surprise to anyone who has followed Chinese politics closely since Xi Jinping has made poverty alleviation and reduction of regional inequality one of the hallmarks of his presidency. Policy proposals include giving local, regional, and municipal governments more autonomy in the regulation of industry, such as real estate, and putting more fiscal resources at the disposal of local government. There is also a plan to remove all remaining barriers to accessing social security in an area where people do not have residency - a policy clearly aimed at China’s vast migrant labor force.  

Fuxi Street in Wangmushan Village, Deqing County, presents a picturesque rural summer landscape, with its village, waterways, and lotus ponds, in Huzhou, China. Photo: CFP

Another area of focus is the continuing development of science and technology. This plan for development is important for the economy, but the third plenum also underlined the national security implications of having a strong, independent science and technology sector. In the next couple of years, we are likely to see more money put into the sector in an effort to raise wages and improve conditions for workers. There is also an emphasis placed on STEM education as a way to cultivate the next generation of Chinese scientists.

Finally, the third plenum focuses on the modernization and improvement of the capacity of China’s governance system. The way China is planning to do this is to further strengthen the mechanism for consultative democracy within the framework of socialism with Chinese characteristics. What this means is that there are going to be efforts to make government more responsive to everyday people, and to decentralize and localize certain aspects of decision-making.

The deputies to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) of various ethnic groups take a group photo in Tiananmen Square on March 4, 2023. Photo: VCG

The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC is clearly very aware that we live in an ever-changing and increasingly unstable world. Going forward the aim appears to be to protect China from unforeseen shocks as much as possible, while staying committed to the Chinese plan for development.   

Further Reading

English Translation of the Third Plenum Communique Explaining the Resolutions of the Central Committee  

Analysis of the Third Plenum and the current Chinese economic situation 


Page Editor: Jin Yulin


Call for Contributors!

I’ve added an “ Op-Ed” section to China Up Close. It’s an open platform I specifically designed to let everyone share their own perspectives with the world. Articles can be related to any topic as long as you’re highly passionate about it! Article length is recommended to be within 700 - 900 words.

If you have an idea for an Op-Ed, contact jjnewsletter@hotmail.com with a brief description of the article's focus.


Share

Leave a comment


Jingjing’s Social Media Links

X: @Jingjing_Li YouTube: @Jingjing_Li Facebook: Talk it Out with Li Jingjing

TikTok: @iamlijingjing Reddit: r/NewsWithJingjing Instagram: @jj_ontheroad

15

Share this post

China Up Close
China Up Close
China’s Third Plenum Explained
7
2
Share

No posts

© 2025 TFF & Jan Oberg
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share