The Communist Party of China Central Committee holds fourth plenary session, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang attends SCO meetings and ASEAN related meetings, UK meets October 31 Brexit deadline, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visits Turkey.

The 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is scheduled to meet for its fourth plenary session next week in Beijing. 

According to a CPC Central Committee Political Bureau's statement on Thursday, the plenary session from Monday to Thursday will discuss on how to uphold and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and modernize China's system and capacity for governance.  

The CPC Central Committee Political Bureau will also report on its work during the session since the previous plenary meeting in February 2018. 

As a meeting system, the CPC Central Committee holds at least one plenary session each year aiming to make key decisions for the direction of the Party and the country. 

Topics of the past three fourth plenary sessions focused on building the Party's governance capacity, anti-corruption issues within the Party and the development of the rule of law. 

Each central committee convenes seven sessions during its five-year term. The current members of the CPC Central Committee were elected in October 2017. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang will pay official visits to Uzbekistan and Thailand from November 1 to 5, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Friday. 

During his trip, Li will attend the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (Prime Ministers) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the Uzbek capital Tashkent. 

At the meeting, the prime ministers are expected to sign 14 documents, including one aimed at coordinating the interaction between the railway administrations of the SCO member states. 

Plans for developing digital technologies will also be a key topic for the coming SCO meeting. 

The Chinese premier will also attend the 22nd China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting, the 22nd ASEAN-China, Japan and Republic of Korea (10+3) leaders' meeting and the 14th East Asia Summit (EAS) in the Thai capital Bangkok. 

ASEAN, founded in 1967, announced the establishment of the ASEAN Community in December 2015. The integration is gaining momentum in recent years. 

The China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 was approved at the 21st China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting held in November 2018 in Singapore, in which China and ASEAN both commit to fostering friendly relations, mutually beneficial cooperation and good neighborliness between the two sides. 

Brexit is still a mess, even though Prime Minister Boris Johnson's "do or die" deadline of October 31 for the UK to leave the bloc is just five days away.  

With no one able to break the 41 months of Brexit deadlock, many Brexit scenarios are still possible depending on how long an extension the EU would give and if UK's parliament would agree on an early election next week. 

The EU on Friday agreed in principle to offer London a new Brexit deadline but did not give a date. The 27 EU heads of state and government are expected to give the final answer on Tuesday.  

Johnson also said Monday he would seek for a snap election on Monday – the third time in his three-month long premiership to make such a request.  

Opposition Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn replied he would only make a decision when the EU makes a decision and could only back an election when the risk of a "no-deal Brexit was off the table." 

If Parliament agrees to an early election of December 12 and the Conservatives then win a majority, the route for passing Johnson's Brexit deal would be easier. If the Labor wins the majority or successfully forms an anti-Tory coalition majority, Brexit future would be more uncertain. 

If no election happens, Johnson's minority government has to start a new round for pushing his current deal to pass through Parliament. 

Day by day:

Monday: The fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China opens in Beijing, China (to October 31), Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro visits Doha, The Fifth meeting of the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea between China and the Philippines takes place in Beijing, China

Tuesday: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Saudi Arabia (to October 31), European and Arab officials meet in Athens to discuss issues ranging from climate change to migration and sustainable development (to October 30)

Wednesday: The fourth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the CPC continues

Thursday: Brexit's scheduled deadline, UK Speaker of the House John Bercow steps down, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visits Turkey, Leaders from Southeast and East Asian nations gather in Bangkok to attend the 35th ASEAN Summit and related summits before handing over the chairmanship to Vietnam (to November 4)

Friday: The 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the SCO takes place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (to November 2)

Saturday: The 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of Government of the Member States of the SCO closes

Sunday: The 35th ASEAN Summit and related summits continue

(With input from agencies)