China plenum leaves economists guessing

THE conclusion of a highly anticipated top leadership meeting in China has left more questions than answers in its wake, with markets falling on the news.

Reactions were mixed at best yesterday after China's leaders concluded a four-day Communist Party plenum and unveiled what was meant to be a "master plan" for the economy in the next decade.

Barely a day after the communique was released, economists and analysts were scrambling to understand whether the 5,000-word document published on Tuesday night was a game changer for the world's second-largest economy or nothing more than a list of bland slogans that would stall against the power of interest groups.

A final document is expected to be released next week, and individual ministries are to reveal t…