Any large organization, whether a global conglomerate, a government or a political party, must grapple with two perennial challenges when its top leadership gathers: people and money. China’s ruling Communist Party is no exception. The four-day, closed-door Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee – known as the Fourth Plenum – offered a rare glimpse into how Beijing manages both. In this talk, Dr Yu Jie will outline and analyse what we should know about the outcome of ‘The Fourth Plenum’ and what key priorities are for China’s upcoming 15th Five Year Plan.

Dr Yu Jie is the senior research fellow on China at Chatham House, focusing on China’s economic diplomacy. She frequently speaks and writes in major media outlets such as BBC News and the Financial Times, and regularly briefs senior policy practitioners from G20 member governments as well as major intergovernmental organizations. She also advises FTSE 100 companies and leading global financial institutions on China’s political landscape. Yu Jie has testified on China’s foreign affairs at various UK Parliament committees. She was previously head of China Foresight at LSE IDEAS and remains as an associate fellow. Prior to LSE, she was a management consultant, specializing in Chinese state-owned enterprises investments in Europe and Chinese market entry strategies for European conglomerates at the London office of Roland Berger. In 2018, she was recognized by the London School of Economics as one of its ‘Leading Women’, for her contribution in teaching and engaging public debates on China’s foreign affairs. She is also a Young Leader for the Asia Security Summit Shangri-La Dialogue. She is currently leading a Horizon Europe project with a focus on China research.