Xi Chairs CPC Leadership Meeting, Stressing Domestic Demand and Technological Self-Reliance Amid Global Risks

On May 2, 2026, Chinese President and Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping chaired a meeting of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee to review the country’s economic conditions and outline priorities for the next stage of policy implementation. Officials stated that China’s economy had started 2026 with stronger-than-expected momentum, but warned that the external environment remained increasingly complex and that the foundation for sustained recovery still required further strengthening.

The meeting emphasized the need to expand domestic demand, stabilize the property market, enhance technological self-reliance, and build secure and controllable industrial supply chains. Chinese leaders also stressed the importance of economic and technological security amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, ongoing trade frictions, and restructuring of global supply chains. Analysts said the policy direction signaled Beijing’s intention to prioritize strategic industries and long-term resilience as China enters the early stage of its new five-year development cycle, with implications for global manufacturing networks, international investment flows, and worldwide technology competition.