The Meeting That Could Seal Xi's Grip on China

Like a black hole at the center of China’s political universe, the Communist Party’s twice-a-decade congress is an event so massive nothing escapes its pull. The gathering -- slated to start on Oct. 18 in Beijing -- approaches cloaked in darkness, discernible mostly from the influence it exerts on other affairs. The meeting is expected to replace about half of China’s top leadership and shape President Xi Jinping’s influence into the next decade. Observers are seeking to divine what recent developments, such as Xi’s rise as the party’s “core” leader and his takedown of one would-be successor, mean for China’s biggest political event.

It’s an assembly of some 2,300 delegates from China’s ruling elite, including state leaders, top executives and military generals. In theory, the events serve as China’s answer to national elections, a forum to vote on policies, revise the party’s charter and replace top leaders. In practice, the big decisions are hashed out by party elders and sitting leaders over months of secret meetings and handshake deals.