Everything you need to know about the National Party Congress

Golden Week holidays may have just ended, but the holiday standstill is expected to continue ahead of China’s most important meeting in years. In the next week, almost 2,300 delegates will be making the trek to Beijing as the Chinese Communist Party holds a once-in-every-five-years Party meeting.

What is the National Party Congress?

Kicking off on October 18 and running for ten days, the National Party Congress is a twice-a-decade leadership reshuffle as delegates elected from 40 electoral units, including military, Government agencies and state-owned corporations, gather together to vote for the Party’s Central Committee and top anti-corruption body.

Who are the big players?

For those putting together a fantasy Party league, five of the seven members of the Party’s top body (the Politburo Standing Committee) are set to retire this year, putting their positions up for grabs. Meanwhile, MVPs President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang are all but assured second terms after showing particularly strong form.

Current members of the Politburo Standing Committee.

What does it mean for Beijingers?

With some 2,300 delegates converging on Beijing for the Congress, security’s only set to get tighter. WhatsApp has been blocked and certain gifs using images of President Xi Jinping also can’t be posted to group chats on WeChat. 

According to an official from the China International Travel Service Ltd, foreigners are also prohibited from visiting Tibet during the Congress, with the ban expected to be lifted in late October.

The good news is, with the Government cracking down on pollution in the lead-up, blue skies are soon to be on the horizon. So take a deep breath and make the most of the capital’s weather with a visit to some of its best spots.

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