2nd Plenum dates set, will deepen reform of Party and state institutions; Wang Yi in Russia; Global Security Initiative
Summary of the today’s top items:
Politburo meeting, 2nd Plenum dates - The Politburo met and announced that the Second Plenum will convene Feb. 26 to 28 in Beijing. The Politburo meeting discussed “a draft plan for the reform of Party and state institutions, and it was decided that the plan will be revised according to the opinions pooled at the meeting and be submitted to the upcoming plenary session for deliberation”. I will not be surprised if reform of party and state institutions includes more of the "Party eating the State" (See the March 2018 3rd Plenum of the 19th Party Congress) and will specifically include increasing a bureaucratic focus on security to balance with development. The readout also had a section on economic work, it does not appear to have anything new in the language.
Wang Yi in Russia - Wang Yi arrived in Moscow, there are reports he met with Putin but so far neither side has issued a public statement on that meeting. The Wall Steet Journal has a few more det…