Party congress date set
29 August 2007
The Communist Party's Politburo has confirmed that the national congress, which will help determine President Hu Jintao's successor, will be held on October 15, AFP reported. "[Tuesday's Politburo] meeting said that the 17th CPC National Congress is a very important meeting to be held at a time when China has entered a key stage of reform and development," the official Xinhua news agency reported. The 17th National Congress is expected to extend Hu's presidency with a second five-year term. Premier Wen Jiabao will also likely receive a second mandate. New appointments to the party's most powerful body, the nine-member Politburo Standing Committee, will be announced during the congress. These changes will position a presidential successor to take the top post when Hu steps down in 2012.
