With no successor in sight, Xi Jinping heads to major Party meeting with more power than ever

In March 2020, the annual meeting of China's national legislature in Beijing was delayed for the first time in decades, as Chinese President Xi Jinping attempted to gain control over what would fast become a global pandemic.

One year on, the high-profile event is due to start on Friday, in line with pre-pandemic traditions, in an atmosphere of triumph for the Chinese Communist Party and Xi, who has emerged from the crisis more powerful than ever. The coronavirus has mostly been brought under control inside China's borders, while the country's economy has rapidly rebounded from the damage dealt by the pandemic. China is expected to overtake the United States as the world's largest economy in 2028, five years earlier than previously estimated.