Chinese Communist Party congress set for October 18 – state media

BEIJING, China – China will convene its 19th Party Congress on October 18, state media said on Thursday, August 31, a key meeting held every 5 years where President Xi Jinping is expected to receive a second term as the ruling Communist party’s top leader.

The meeting will discuss the country’s accomplishments since the previous gathering and elect the new members of the party’s top leadership, according to the party’s official mouthpiece the People’s Daily.

The congress will decide a new line-up for the all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee, the group of 7 politicians who run the world’s second largest economy.

At the meeting, President Xi Jinping is widely expected to consolidate his grip on power, solidifying his position as China’s most powerful ruler in a generation.

The new slate of committee members is traditionally seen as indicating Xi’s most likely successor after he steps down, expected for 2022.

But the Chinese president has thus far delayed anointing an heir, spurring speculation that he will try to stay in office beyond the standard 10-year tenure. – Rappler.com