China's Communist Party Sets Stage To Anoint Xi Jinping As "Great Leader"

It is widely expected to see Xi Jinping reinstated as president for a third term -- unprecedented in the contemporary era.

China's ruling Communist Party will begin its 20th Party Congress on October 16, state media reported Tuesday, a landmark meeting at which President Xi Jinping is expected to be anointed as the country's most powerful leader in decades.

The congress in the capital Beijing comes as Xi faces significant political headwinds, including an ailing economy, deteriorating relations with the United States and a strict zero-Covid policy that has accelerated China's inward turn from the world.

It is widely expected to see Xi reinstated as president for a third term -- unprecedented in the contemporary era.

It will also see the unveiling of a new top leadership line-up, as Xi consolidates his grip on the party and his position as the most powerful Chinese leader since the country's founder Mao Zedong.