China’s Leaders Go on a Summer Retreat
Under Xi, the once-collective gathering has become something else.
China's top leaders have concluded their annual two-week summer retreat in Beidaihe, a seaside resort town near Beijing. This event, which dates back to the Qing dynasty, serves as a crucial forum for informal discussions on policy and personnel matters. Historically, leaders have utilized the retreat to resolve contentious decisions confidentially before formal plenums and congresses in the fall.
The retreat maintains a balance between formal proceedings and more relaxed, policy-focused conversations. The retreat's significance was tested during the Bo Xilai scandal in 2012, which led to Xi Jinping's emergence as a dominant figure in the CCP. However, Xi's authoritarian rule has rendered the retreat less influential, as power struggles now occur in his presence rather than being resolved there.
Simultaneously, U.S.-China tensions run high ahead of President Trump's September summit, with the U.S. making aggressive moves on tariffs and AI while China expands its sanctions and export control measures. In Japan, Russia's visit to the Kuril Islands has further strained Sino-Japanese relations, as Beijing remains vocal in its support for Russia's territorial claims.
Written by urgent.news from Foreign Policy's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
