China's 2025 Fourth Plenum occurred amid economic slowdown, with GDP growth at 4.8% and rising debt, deflation, and export declines.

China's Communist Party held its Fourth Plenum in October 2025, aiming to shape the next Five-Year Plan amid mounting economic challenges. Official reports highlighted progress, but independent analysis points to a deepening downturn, including the collapse of major real estate firms like Evergrande, a 27% drop in exports to the U.S., and 36 months of declining producer prices. GDP growth slowed to 4.8% in the third quarter—the weakest in a year—while rising debt, falling consumer confidence, and widespread bankruptcies fuel concerns. Critics argue pandemic lockdowns and foreign policy tensions have worsened domestic instability, questioning the accuracy of official data and warning of growing social unrest beneath a facade of control.