The highest central-committee organ in communist parties
China has concluded its fifth plenum with a renewed push to institutionalise party discipline, promote the military anti‑graft chief Zhang Shengmin to the Politburo and signal a tougher crackdown on passive, self‑protecting officials known as "lao hao ren." The session has revealed an unprecedented number of empty Central Committee seats and set the agenda ahead of the 2027 party congress.
Taiwan's prosecutors have moved to detain two figures tied to a minor political party amid an investigation into foreign interference in local elections. The case highlights concerns about electoral influence ahead of the 2028 presidential race, with courts granting detention in one case and bail in another. The political landscape remains tense as authorities push forward with prosecutions.