Xi, 64, presided over the week-long congress’s closing session where some 2,300 delegates approved the constitutional amendment to include “Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era”. The congress also elected a new Central Committee, which will choose the executive Politburo and the country’s top ruling council, the Politburo Standing Committee, on Wednesday. When he opened the gathering last week, Xi declared that China had entered a “new era” with the ambitious goal of becoming a “global leader” by mid-century. But despite Xi’s rising power, the composition of the Politburo Standing Committee, the body that controls power, will still be crucial to Xi’s efforts, Lam said. If the right allies are named, it would show that “he has full control over the Politburo Standing Committee,” Lam said.

Source: The Standard October 24, 2017 05:26 UTC