China's Communists holds key meeting amid rising challenges

Beijing: China's ruling Communist Party is holding a key meeting this week amid a drastically slowing economy, ongoing protests in Hong Kong and pushback abroad against Beijing's global ambitions.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the party's 19th Central Committee opened its fourth plenary session Monday.

It said Xi Jinping, the party leader and state president, discussed a draft document on strengthening party rule but gave no details.

Xinhua said the document breached "some major issues concerning how to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advance the modernisation of China's system and capacity for governance."

China's economic growth has slid to its lowest level in almost 30 years, pounded by the trade war with the US, while Hong Kong anti-government protests show no sign of abating.