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This week, China's Communist Party concluded its fifth plenum in Beijing, adopting a resolution on internal governance, discipline and oversight of officials. The four-day meeting came ahead of next year's party congress, when President Xi Jinping is widely expected to seek a fourth term as party leader. The plenum confirmed that the congress would take place in the second half of 2027 and ratified the expulsions of several senior officials.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission voted to bar Chinese laboratories from testing electronics for the American market. The decision expands earlier restrictions on facilities owned or controlled by the Chinese government and covers jurisdictions without reciprocal arrangements with the United States. The rules take effect in December 2028 and affect the approval process for products including smartphones and computers. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr cited security concerns involving access to confidential product information. The decision comes ahead of an expected Trump-Xi meeting in Shenzhen next month.

In Singapore, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for closer European-Asian trade ties during a visit to Singapore. His proposals included coordinating existing bilateral trade agreements, pursuing closer arrangements with Trans-Pacific partners, and working toward a longer-term EU-ASEAN agreement. Merz advocated diversifying supply chains, technology, and raw materials while rejecting economic separation from China. "Decoupling would be a big mistake," he said. Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said his government would seek progress on an ASEAN-EU agreement during its 2027 ASEAN chairmanship.

China's Foreign Ministry responded by emphasizing Chinese-European industrial interdependence and calling for differences to be resolved through dialogue. The proposed trade arrangements have not been concluded.

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