China’s party congress promises continuity, not change

China's President Xi Jinping, center, sits after giving a speech during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. The overarching theme emerging from China's ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change. The weeklong meeting is expected to reappoint Xi as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in China's modern history. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein) China's President Xi Jinping, center, sits after giving a speech during the opening ceremony of the 20th National Congress of China's ruling Communist Party in Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022. The overarching theme emerging from China's ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change. The weeklong meeting is expected to reappoint Xi as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in China's modern history. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

By KEN MORITSUGU / Associated Press October 17, 2022 5 min read

BEIJING (AP) — The overarching theme emerging from China’s ongoing Communist Party congress is one of continuity, not change.

The weeklong meeting, which opened Sunday, is expected to reappoint Xi Jinping as leader, reaffirm a commitment to his policies for the next five years and possibly elevate his status even further as one of the most powerful leaders in China’s modern history.

A look at what’s happened so far, and what’s to come:

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This is not an inflection point for the party. That happened 10 years ago when it named Xi as leader, though it wasn’t evident at the time.