China kicked off a two-decade Communist Party convention on Sunday, at the end of which leader Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term, breaking recent precedents as the most potent Chinese politician since Mao Zedong. as installs them.
Xi delivered a lengthy report at the inauguration in which he praised the achievements of the past five years and said the party would strive to achieve its modernization goals which he called the “rejuvenation” of the nation.
With Xi expected to remain in place, little change is expected in China’s economic and foreign policies, as well as his intolerance of criticism and staunch attitudes towards COVID-19, including quarantine and travel restrictions.
More than 2,000 of the party’s 96 million members are attending the inauguration at the Halling Great Hall of the People overlooking Tiananmen Square in the centre of Beijing. Congress spokesman Sun Yeli on Saturday offered some details of what changes would be made to the party’s charter at the meeting.
Will “incorporate key theoretical ideas and strategic thinking developed since the last Congress five years ago” and “meet new requirements to advance the development and work of the Party
Xi, who has been a leader for ten years, has already wielded great power, placing himself in charge of domestic affairs, foreign policy, military, economy and other critical matters through the party’s working groups, which he leads.
Congress comes as China’s economy faces significant headwinds from a sharp slowdown in the real estate sector and the toll on tourism, shops and manufacturing from COVID-19 quarantines and other restrictions.
