BEIJING -- Some retired leaders including 96-year-old former General Secretary Jiang Zemin were notably absent as the Chinese Communist Party's national congress opened Sunday, signaling that party elders no longer are assured of influence in President Xi Jinping's China.
When the opening ceremony began at 10 a.m., members of the committee overseeing the 20th National Congress walked into the hall. Xi, the party's general secretary since 2012, was followed by his immediate predecessor, Hu Jintao, and former Premier Wen Jiabao.
