BEIJING: The Chinese Communist Party’s 20th Congress will end on Oct 22, a spokesman said at a press conference on the eve of the gathering, where President Xi Jinping is expected to secure a historic third term in power.
Around 2,300 delegates from every province in China will gather at the Great Hall of the People in the capital Beijing from today for the mostly closed-door conclave.
The CCP’s five-yearly talking shop will start at 10am (0200 GMT) with an opening ceremony, after which Xi is expected to deliver a lengthy speech that will give an assessment of the previous term and a roadmap for the next five years.
Congress spokesman Sun Yeli told reporters yesterday: “The preparations for the Congress have now been fully completed.”
Should everything go to plan, by the end of the meeting 69-year-old Xi will be reconfirmed as the party’s general secretary, cementing his position as China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong.
At the highly choreographed conclave, the 2,296 participants will pick members of the party’s roughly 200-member Central Committee, which in turn selects the 25-person Politburo and its all-powerful Standing Committee – the country’s highest leadership body.
The day after Congress closes, the new Standing Committee – currently a group of seven men including General Secretary Xi – should be revealed.
Sun said the number of female delegates had increased to 27% from 24% at the last Congress in 2017.
China is holding today’s opening ceremony under a strict zero-Covid policy, sealing organisers and journalists in a virus-secure bubble two days in advance.
Participants have been ordered to take daily Covid-19 tests to attend events, some of which are being held remotely by video link instead of in person. — AFP
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