But there is more to the story, and G Venkat Raman, Sinologist and Professor, Humanities and Social Sciences at Indian Institute of Management, Indore explains why the Congress matters.
Prof Venkat Raman writes: “The questions on the minds of China watchers: will the party congress herald a new era of factional ‘politics with Xi Jinping characteristics’? Or will Xi exercise his authority but also be conscious of respecting some of the traditions of the party in the name of ‘collective leadership’? And what clues can one get from the ‘new leadership’ team—a fresh crop of leaders likely to come into the top decision-making bodies—regarding China’s priorities in its domestic and foreign policy-making?
In other words, will the new leadership connote something more than merely an exercise in settling political rivalries? And how does one make sense of any connection between the new administration and China's geopolitical ambitions in this decade?”
To answer some of these questions it’s important to take a historic perspective. This timeline will help you in getting a sense of the party’s evolution.
