With the Chinese Communist Party's 19th congress scheduled to start on Oct. 18, all eyes are on whether President Xi Jinping will consolidate power beyond two terms and if a restructure of the top ranks will result in the emergence of new power elites.
China's ruling elites select their top leaders periodically behind closed doors and craft messages to energize its rank and file. On the surface, the party congress is the stage for the political pomp and ceremony. The general secretary of the party, in this case Xi, will deliver the keynote speech, officially known as the political report, that summarizes the work of the party in the last five years and sets the goals ahead.
