China: Regime interests will dominate meet

NO QUESTIONS PLEASE: Xi is expected to further cement his position at the 20th party congress

- JABIN T JACOB

As China's economic might and political heft have grown, so has attention to the national congresses of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held every five years. The week-long 20th National Congress of the CPC that gets underway in Beijing today will be among the most closely observed meetings of a political party anywhere in the world. The report that the current general secretary Xi Jinping will present at the congress will offer the party's perspective on milestones achieved since the last congress in 2017 as well as an outline of its future goals. Just as important, it will offer insights into how the party views its position in power within China and the external challenges it perceives to its domestic and international legitimacy.

From China's domestic perspective, the congress will likely be a norm-busting one in which Xi will very likely continue for an unprecedented third term as general secretary and, therefore, possibly also for a third term as president of the People's Republic of China come March 2023. This will be a clear sign that he remains unchallenged at the top of the party-news of continuing indictments of senior officials on charges of corruption in the run-up to the congress provides added confirmation.