• A top-level finance meeting China holds every five years ended this weekend with underwhelming results. Our Shanghai bureau chief saw the meager outcome, even as overall debt in the country is soaring, as a signal of how complex China’s policy dilemmas have become.

Multiple news reports indicated that China’s anti-corruption agency is investigating Sun Zhengcai, the youngest member of the Politburo and the party boss of Chongqing, on suspicion of “serious violation of party discipline.”

And in other governance challenges, women appear to still be shut out as the Communist Party prepares to enshrine its next set of leaders this fall.