Chinese President Xi Jinping will start a two-day visit to the southwestern city of Chengdu on Thursday, opening the World University Games and receiving foreign leaders including Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
The timing of the trip suggests that a highly anticipated gathering of the country’s top leaders — the July Politburo meeting — could take place either in the first half of this week or next Monday. Investors are closely watching whether the country’s senior leadership will deliver on hopes for major stimulus for the weakening economy.
In addition to seeing Indonesia’s Widodo, Xi is also expected to meet heads of states from Mauritania, Burundi, Guyana, Georgia and Fiji, according to a statement posted on the foreign ministry’s website.
The Chinese leader resumed face-to-face diplomacy this year after the country abruptly removed Covid-19 restrictions at the end of 2022, although he only had one overseas trip so far — to visit Russian President Vladimir Putin in March.
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Xi has met with over 30 foreign guests, including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, as well as hosting a summit for Central Asian leaders this year, according to a tally by the official Xinhua News Agency over the weekend.
The July meeting of the Communist Party’s Politburo usually covers economic policy. Senior officials typically don’t announce specific measures at these meetings, but the policy tone and language of the statement will provide important clues on how Beijing will respond in coming months.
