Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to amass even greater power at Communist Party Congress this week, promoting close allies, having his guiding thought enshrined in the party constitution and possibly assuming a title to put him on par with Mao Zedong. That is the view of multiple sources with ties to the Chinese leadership, including senior party officials, former officials and foreign diplomats who have talked to top officials. Much of it has also been signalled in various ways in the state media in recent months. In another key break with tradition, Xi looks set to retain a key ally, Wang Qishan, in some capacity despite the anti-corruption tsar passing retirement age. In one widely-reported instance, Xi visited a Beijing dumpling restaurant in late 2013; images on state media showed him lining up for his food with other patrons.

Source: Dhaka Tribune October 16, 2017 00:33 UTC