Geoeconomic headwinds threaten to derail Xi Jinping’s vision as China’s Fourth Plenum convenes to shape the next Five-Year Plan. The CCP faces mounting pressure to reconcile its political ambitions with economic realities amid global decoupling, domestic stagnation, and leadership uncertainty. As the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Committee gathers for its Fourth Plenum this week, the stakes could hardly be higher. This closed-door meeting, traditionally focused on governance, has been repurposed to deliberate the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030)—a blueprint that will define China’s trajectory in an increasingly hostile global economic climate.
Three-fifths into Xi Jinping’s third term, the promise of modernization, rejuvenation, and common prosperity—pillars of his “China Dream”—is und