President Xi Jinping at the National People's Congress. (Photo : Getty Images)
The Communist Party of China (CPC) will be holding its 19th Congress and over 3,000 delegates will be reassigned to more than 40 posts nationwide. President Xi Jinping, the Party's Secretary-General, wants to affirm unity among the Party's cadres.
Xi is faced with many issues, specifically the unresolved tension between China and the U.S.
Zhao Suisheng, director of the University of Denver's Center for China-U.S. Cooperation, concurs that the congress is happening at a time when the two greatest world leaders are in an unstable relationship.
"Xi is under pressure to further consolidate personal power ahead of the 19th Party Congress. He wants to be first, not first among equals. There's still a lot of work to do," said Zheng.
Xi shook the bureaucracy with the appointment of He Lifeng, a long-time ally, as director of the National Development and Reform Commission.
However, Xi is still facing challenges in his anti-corruption campaign from within the Party ranks. Despite China's great economic growth and promotion of key economic leaders, the Party is still plagued with corruption.
In his last statement to the Party, Xi wrote that there are "a handful of senior Party officials overcome by their political cravings and lust for power and formed cliques to pursue selfish interests."
Xi is also nearing the end of his term in 2022. He will be facing the challenge of choosing a successor in the next few years.
Wang Yukai, a government adviser and professor at the Chinese Academy of Governance, said, "The biggest challenge Xi faces this year is to ensure the smooth transition of power."
He added, "There will be resistance in the run-up to the leadership reshuffle from various interests groups who will put up a fight."
At the CPC annual meeting, 11 out of 25 cadres will be giving up their posts in the Politburo. A new Central Committee will be put in place.
