‎18th Communist Party Congress concluded in Beijing

Before journalists were admitted, the Congress's 2,300-odd delegates carried out a largely ceremonial vote for seats on the Party's new Central Committee; the body that itself chooses the line-up of the country's ruling Politubro Standing Committee. It was no surprise that Xi Jinping, who is expected to succeed Hu Jintao as Party General Secretary, was announced as a winner, along with vice-premier Li Keqiang who is also seen as a sure bet.

Other appointments to the new Central Committee included vice-premier Wang Qishan, propaganda chief Liu Yunshan, party organization chief Li Yuanchao, Tianjing party boss Zhang Gaoli and vice premier Zhang Dejiang, all of whom are considered front-runners for Standing Committee Posts.

Wrapping up, the Congress then unanimously approved Hu Jintao's "state of the nation" work report.

In his opening address, which was made to look back at the Party's last five years in power and set broad goals for the next five, president Hu Jintao restated earlier commitments to liberalize China's financial markets, boost domestic demand and double household incomes by the years 2020. On the political front, he disappointed many foreign observers when he said China would never copy a western political system.

For China's Communists, political reform means the evolution of an ideology that started with Marxist-Leninism and Mao Zedong-thought, and continued with the additions of Mao's successors Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin. Before the closing ceremony, the Party's constitution was duly amended to include Hu Jintao's core doctrine of Scientific Development, referring to development that is both equitable and sustainable.


Nobody knows what Xi Jinping-thought will look like, although analysts say the next Chinese president has much of his work cut out.

Xi Jinping is expected to emerge at the head of a new, seven-member Politburo Standing Committee, just before lunch on Thursday.