China’s ruling Communist Party kicks off a national congress on Sunday, the 20th in its 101-year history.
Xi Jinping, China’s top leader, is widely expected to secure another five-year term as party boss and commander-in-chief of the military.
How the rest of the chips fall remains to be seen, and could offer hints about Xi’s power and priorities.
The party congress is the “highest leading body” of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the country’s constitution.
In reality, it’s a rubber stamp for an elite coterie of party grandees and their affiliates, which meets once every five years.
The congress is made up of a delegation of some 2,300 party members from every corner of the country and normally lasts about six days.
The group is carefully curated to include people from all walks of life, a wide range of professions, and each of China’s ethnic groups. It is designed to confer legitimacy on the outcomes of the congress.
While the party congress will not lay out specific new policies, it will offer important guidance about China’s future.
Early in the congress, Xi will deliver a long speech akin to the State of the Union address in the United States. It will provide an official summation of how the party leadership thinks things have gone for China over the past five years, and articulate policy priorities for the future.
Analysts say there will likely be guidance about the direction of economic reform.
Many are also hoping for hints about how much longer China’s “zero COVID” policy — including aggressive lockdowns and testing and tight border controls — might remain in place.
