China's most senior Communist Party members on Tuesday ended their last annual meeting ahead of a generational change in leadership next year, the official Xinhua news agency said in a brief dispatch.

The leaders of the ruling party agreed during the four-day meeting to boost the nation's "cultural soft power", Xinhua said, adding that President Hu Jintao, the party's general secretary, had delivered an "important speech".

The annual meeting of China's Communist Party -- the largest political party in the world with more than 80 million members -- is held behind closed doors at a secret location in Beijing.

Independent analysts said before the meeting that planned discussions on cultural reforms had to do with ensuring the media serve the party's goals and could mean even tighter control of freedom of expression, especially online.

Xinhua said the 18th national congress of the Communist Party, where China's next leaders will be confirmed, would be held in the capital in the second half of 2012.

This year's plenum came as Hu prepares to end his second five-year term as party head next year, before stepping down as president in 2013.

Premier Wen Jiabao and his government will also resign in 2013 and analysts said this week's meeting would provide one of the last opportunities for the exiting regime to leave its mark on the direction of the party.

Xinhua gave no further details of the agreement on culture.