The 19th Politburo

The 25-member Politburo is the highest policy-making body in China. In theory, the Politburo is elected by the Central Committee but back-room negotiations often dictate its membership. Like the Central Committee, a significant number of the Politburo’s current members are expected to retire after the 20th party congress, having reached the retirement age of 68. But it is not clear whether Xi Jinping, the party’s general secretary, will stick with tradition. A new Politburo and its core, the Standing Committee, will be revealed at the first plenum of the 20th Central Committee to be held immediately after the party congress.

Click on the image to see profiles