What is China’s 6th plenum and why is it important?

China’s top Communist Party leaders are meeting in Beijing for the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee, a key meeting ahead of an expected leadership shuffle at the 20th national congress in 2022. During past “sixth plenums”, the party has come up with major decisions, including the establishment of Mao Zedong as paramount leader and the issuance of an official party verdict on the Cultural Revolution. Observers are watching to see how this latest sixth plenum will shape how the party plans to move forward and how it will try to convince the Chinese public to continue trusting in its leadership.