ASSESSMENTS

A Party Congress Tests China's Progress

Oct 16, 2017 | 09:00 GMT

The 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress that starts this week will be a test of President Xi Jingping's consolidation of power.

The extent of Chinese President Xi Jingping's grip on power will become clear during the 19th Communist Party Congress, which starts this week.

(Feng Li - Pool/Getty Images)

Editor's Note

The 19th Chinese Communist Party Congress runs Oct. 18-24. The convention marks the start of a transition as delegates name new members to lead China's most powerful political institutions. But the change in personnel is only part of a larger transformation underway in the Party and in the country — a process that began long before the party congress kicked off and will continue long after it ends. This is the first installment in a four-part series examining how far China has come in its transition, and how far it has yet to go.

The moment China's leaders have been waiting for is almost here. The weeklong Chinese Communist Party Congress, held every five years, will kick off Oct. 18, marking nearly a century since the Party's founding in 1921. For China's leaders, the upcoming 19th Party Congress will be the year's most significant and politically charged event, an opportunity to reflect on the organization's performance over the last five years and to plan for the next half-decade. The convention will also begin a political transition: Delegates will name officials to the country's most powerful decision-making bodies, the 300-member Central Committee, along with the Politburo and its all-important standing committee. Their picks will go on to lead China toward its political, economic and diplomatic goals for the next five or 10 years....

Subscribe to view this article

Subscribe Now

Already have an account?