CCP State Media Claims Success as Analysts Highlight Clear Signs of Economic Decline

A resident wearing a mask naps on a bench near the CCP's propaganda slogan "Chinese dream" in Wuhan, China, on April 1, 2020. Ng Han Guan/AP Photo

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee convened in Beijing on Oct. 20 behind closed doors, expecting to last four days, with state media stating the meeting focuses on drafting the next five-year development plan, known as the “15th Five-Year Plan.”

However, analysts say the real issue is the escalating internal struggle within the party and China’s deepening economic crisis.

State Media Claims Economic Progress

On Oct. 20, the CCP’s propaganda outlet Xinhua News Agency released a series of commentaries claiming China’s economic development had achieved “remarkable progress” under CCP leadership during the current 14th Five-Year Plan.