While Xi Jinping is set to be elected for a third term as the leader of China’s ruling Communist Party on Sunday, it is unclear who will join him on the party’s top bodies, the Central Committee and the Politburo, for the next five years.
Analysts will be looking for clues about the future direction of policy as well as how much power the 69-year-old Xi has amassed as one of China’s most influential figures in the country’s modern political history.
The Politburo Standing Committee, whose size fluctuates but has remained at seven members under Xi, will be the most closely watched. According to past practice, the new lineup will be revealed when the members emerge from behind a curtain on Sunday, one day after a weeklong party congress concludes.
Their positions on stage, to Xi’s left and right, will indicate their status within the inner circle of power.
