If a government conclave takes place and no one reports it, does it make a sound? That is the question at Beidaihe, a dowdy seaside resort near Beijing where China’s leaders take in warm breezes most summers. The relaxed atmosphere is thought conducive to policy discussions but official media are unlikely even to confirm that meetings have occurred. This year’s session may be unusually important. It is expected to run for an extra week, amid rows over slowing growth. Some officials want to push for potentially painful reforms, while others worry that the economy is in trouble and needs immediate help. Neither group will have much time to swim. A murky political storm is raging, with previously untouchable senior figures being probed for corruption and denounced as “negative examples”. President Xi Jinping, it seems, wants to crush all opposition. Who will be next? Listen out for one hand clapping.