China’s Communist Party Congress closes, cementing Xi’s status as ‘core’

By Yew Lun Tian and Eduardo Baptista

BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Communist Party on Saturday approved amendments to its constitution aimed at cementing the core status of Xi Jinping and the guiding role of his political thought within the party as it wrapped up its twice-a-decade congress.

The party was also set on Saturday to elect its Central Committee, which on Sunday will choose the elite Politburo Standing Committee, with Xi, 69, widely expected to secure a third leadership term.

A third five-year leadership term would solidify Xi’s place as China’s most powerful ruler since Mao Zedong, founding leader of the People’s Republic.

Among the ammendments to the party constitution, the “Two Establishes” define Xi as the “core” leader of the party and cement his ideas as the guiding principles of China’s future development. The “Two Safeguards” assure Xi’s “core” status within the party and the party’s centralised authority over China.

Voting was conducted by show of hands in the vast Great Hall of the People, where much of the week’s party congress proceedings have taken place behind closed doors.

The congress concluded with a military band playing “The Internationale”.

At its first plenum on Sunday, the party’s new central committee will choose the next Politburo, which is typically 25 people, and its new Standing Committee, which currently numbers seven.

The new leadership will be unveiled when Xi, widely expected to be renewed in China’s top post as party general secretary, walks into a room of journalists at the Great Hall, followed by the other members of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) in descending order of rank.

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