China’s top leaders appear at National Day event as clock counts down to major reshuffle
- President Xi Jinping was joined by other senior officials at Great Hall of the People and the Martyrs’ Day ceremony in Beijing
- The Communist Party is preparing for next month’s national congress, where Xi is expected to secure an unprecedented third term at the helm
In a show of solidarity, President Xi Jinping and other members of the Chinese leadership attended a National Day celebration in Beijing on Friday night, one of their last public appearances before a major leadership reshuffle next month.
A number of former members of the Politburo, the Communist Party’s 25-strong decision-making body, also attended the event at the Great Hall of the People but there were no retired members of the inner circle, the Standing Committee.
Addressing the event, Premier Li Keqiang said the party’s national congress next month came at “a critical moment”, with the country marching towards the second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country.
Li said that despite complex and severe domestic and international conditions, the country had made advances, including “coordinating epidemic prevention and control and economic and social development”.
He also hailed Xi as the core of the leadership and reaffirmed government policy on Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Xi did not make a speech at the event but in the morning, he led other members of the Chinese leadership at a ceremony to honour national heroes.
