BEIJING: China's ruling Communist Party will hold the fifth plenary session of its Central Committee in Beijing in October, state-run Xinhua news agency said on Thursday (Jul 30), citing a Politburo meeting. The top decision-making body of the ruling Communist party, the Politburo, acknowledged "difficulties and challenges facing the economy" at its meeting, the official Xinhua news agency said. The party conclave will bring together more than 300 full and alternate members of its current Central Committee - the largest of the party's top decision-making bodies. Typically, seven Central Committee meetings, also known as plenums, are held between major party congresses which convene twice a decade. The fifth plenum usually deliberates the country's strategic blueprint - the five-year plan - but a delayed third plenum, which was delayed for more than half year until mid 2024 has disrupted conventional scheduling.