China’s Communist Party has concluded a week-long congress, a day before unveiling its new leadership line-up.
More than 2,200 delegates met to select a new Central Committee in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People.
That committee will meet on Thursday to endorse China’s top decision-making body, the Politburo Standing Committee. The new line-up will be keenly watched for signs of China’s future economic and political direction.
In a closing statement, President Hu Jintao said the congress had “replaced older leaders with younger ones” and made decisions of “far-reaching historical significance”, Xinhua news agency said.
China’s leadership change happens every 10 years. The party congress opened on 8 November with a televised work report from Mr Hu, but since then the decision-making has been taking place behind closed doors.
While votes are held, key selections are in reality decided in advance by top leaders, with the Politburo Standing Committee line-up to be revealed at 11:00 (03:00 GMT) on Thursday.
Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang are expected to become party leader and deputy respectively. Mr Xi is also expected to take over from Hu Jintao as China’s president in March 2013.
Both were appointed to the Central Committee, Xinhua news agency confirmed, as were the leading contenders for inclusion in the Standing Committee. Vice-Premier Wang Qishan, propaganda chief Liu Yunshan, party organisation chief Li Yuanchao, Tianjin party boss Zhang Gaoli and Vice-Premier Zhang Dejiang are all thought to be front-runners.
But the exact composition of the committee – which could be reduced from nine to seven members – will not be clear until it is formally announced.
