Communist Party leaders gather in Beidaihe for annual policy summit

China’s ruling Communist Party elites are gathering this week in the seaside resort of Beidaihe for a summer summit to work out major policy decisions.

Liu Yunshan , a member of the seven-men Politburo Standing Committee and head of the Secretariat, met scientists, engineers, and other top thinkers in the Hebei resort area near Beijing, China Central Television reported Wednesday evening.

Liu said he met the experts on the behalf of President Xi Jinping. Liu was accompanied by two other members of the decision-making Politburo – Vice-Premier Ma Kai and party organisation chief Zhao Leji.

The report has effectively confirmed that the country’s top leaders have begun their secretive summer policy conference, said Zhang Ming, a professor of political science at Renmin University.

Leaders use the summit to debate domestic issues ahead formal party meetings in the autumn. Proposals on promoting the rule of law in the country, which is the main item on the agenda of the party plenum in October, are expected to be discussed this year.

Last week, the Politburo said the annual plenary session of the party’s 205-member decision-making Central Committee would discuss pushing forward rules of law to modernise the government.