Xi Must Finally Show Hand on What Third Term Will Look Like
- Leader’s return to Central Committee to confirm plans to stay
- Body’s composition will provide clues on how Xi plans to rule
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Xi Jinping has already rewritten China’s rules of political succession. The end of the Communist Party’s congress will show how far he intends to go.
The twice-a-decade gathering is expected to culminate around noon Saturday with the announcement of a new Central Committee, about 200 of the nation’s most powerful ministers, executives and generals. Xi’s presence on the list will provide the first official confirmation that the 69-year-old leader intends to ignore the party’s unofficial retirement age of 68. It also basically guarantees his return for a third term when top leadership posts are unveiled, likely Sunday.