“Good Steel Starts with a Good Blacksmith”: What China’s Fifth Plenum Signals for the Future | China Responds

Chongqing - Why does a ruling party need to strengthen its own governance, and what does this mean for a country's future? The Fifth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), held in Beijing from October 26 to 29, 2026, put full and rigorous Party self-governance in focus, highlighting its importance to China's long-term development.

To explore the timing, key messages and broader implications of the plenum, Global Vision interviewed Zheng Changzhong, professor at Fudan University's School of International Relations and Public Affairs and director of its Research Center for Party Building and National Development.

Professor Zheng suggested that the timing is telling. China had just closed the 14th Five-Year Plan period and opened the 15th one. "It takes a good blacksmith to make good steel," hence the session turned to the CPC's own discipline and party building in order to better carry out the tasks.

More specifically, the session stressed that the officials must foster and act on the "correct view of performance." Zheng explained that the performance of officials shall not be judged simply with scores or report cards; the people will have a say. Efforts are directed where people's lives can be better off.

And so is the party adapting to the changing economic landscape and the emergence of new sectors and employment, a common challenge for political systems worldwide. CPC's party building has gone beyond the factory floor or the work unit, reaching delivery riders, ride-hailing drivers, and livestreamers at platform companies and service stations.