Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, Chinese National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) Chairman Zheng Shanjie, Director of the Central Policy Research Office Jiang Jinquan, Director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group Han Wenxiu,  Chinese Science and Technology Minister Yin Hejun, and Chinese National Health Commission Minister Lei Haichao attend a press conference on the fourth plenum of the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee, in Beijing, China, October 24, 2025. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Unusual absences and record punishments rock China Communist Party’s top meeting

Chairman Xi Jinping’s tightening grip on power was on full display at the Chinese Communist Party’s Fourth Plenary Session, where strikingly low attendance and a record number of disciplinary actions underscored intensifying purges and unease within China’s elite political and military circles. The Fourth Plenum of the 20th Central Committee, held in Beijing on 20…

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China and ASEAN sign expanded free trade pact

China and ASEAN sign expanded free trade pact

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — China signed an expanded version of a free trade agreement Tuesday with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang pitching expanded economic ties with his country as an alternative to the protectionist policies of U.S. President Donald Trump. Li Qiang told an ASEAN-China summit meeting after…

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Stock market today: Live updates

Stock market today: Live updates

Futures-options traders work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange’s NYSE American in New York City, U.S., Oct. 27, 2025. Brendan McDermid | Reuters Stock futures were little changed Monday evening following a big rally to start the week. Key market catalysts loom ahead this week, including Big Tech earnings, a Federal Reserve…

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