China's ruling party says 'uncertainties, unforeseen factors rising'

China's ruling Communist Party on Thursday said that while "strategic opportunities" for the world's second-largest economy "exist," the "uncertainties and unforeseen factors are rising."

The remarks were made at the end of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which concluded its fourth plenary session in Beijing on Thursday, state media reported.

Over the past four days, the plenum discussed and adopted the recommendations of the CPC Central Committee for formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of China for 2026-2030.

"At the session, a call was issued to the whole Party, the entire military, and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to rally more closely around the Party Central Committee with Xi at its core," read a communique, released at the end of the session.

The plenum is a convocation of the CPC Central Committee, which comprises the party's top 205 officials, plus 167 alternate members-its decisions and recommendations are placed before the National People's Congress, which usually meets every March, for adoption.

It said the upcoming plan period will be "critical as the country works to reinforce the foundations and push ahead on all fronts toward basically achieving socialist modernization by 2035."

"It will thus serve as a key link between the past and the future," it added.

"China should build a modernized industrial system and reinforce the foundations of the real economy," the communique noted.

It called for achieving "greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology and steer the development of new quality productive forces," as well as building a "robust domestic market and work faster to foster a new pattern of development."

- 'MODERNIZE MILITARY ON SCHEDULE'

The committee also stressed the significance of achieving the centenary goals of modernizing the People's Liberation Army on schedule.

It promoted Gen. Zhang Shengmin as a vice chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission (CMC).

The decision came after the CPC expelled the commission's vice chair, Gen. He Weidong, his commission colleague Adm. Miao Hua, and seven other military officials, who are not members of the CMC.

Last year, Gen. Li Shangfu, then-defense minister, was removed from the CMC, while his successor Adm. Dong Jun was not made a member of the military's highest decision-making body.

This leaves the commission, which oversees the Chinese military in general, with only four members, including its leader President Xi Jinping-down from a customary six ordinary members plus Xi.

It also decided to fill vacancies in the Central Committee by alternate members, including Yu Huiwen, Ma Hancheng, Wang Jian, Wang Xi, Wang Yonghong, Wang Tingkai, Wang Xinwei, Wei Tao, Deng Yiwu, Deng Xiuming, and Lu Hong.