China's Communist Party elevated President Xi Jinping to the position of "core" leader on Thursday, underscoring his clout and strengthening his dominance ahead of a reshuffle in the top ranks next year. A key party meeting this week called on all members to unite around the party leadership with "Comrade Xi Jinping as the core," according to a communique released by the official Xinhua News Agency. While mainly symbolic, the move to bestow Xi with "core" status reflects his assertion of himself as one of the country's most powerful leaders in decades. More than 1 million party members have been punished for corruption since 2013, state media have said. The party meeting also approved two sets of rules aimed at strengthening discipline among party members and curbing corruption.

Source: ABC News October 27, 2016 12:43 UTC