Xi Jinping is set to consolidate control of China’s government and economy as lawmakers gather in Beijing this week to pass far-reaching reforms.
The National People’s Congress (NPC), a rubber-stamp parliament, will confirm Mr. Xi’s third term as president as well as his top team appointments.
They will also name a new premier to succeed Mr. Xi, as incumbent Li Keqiang steps down.
The Two Sessions, as the meetings are known, take place once a year.
However, delegates are expected to reshape several key Communist Party and state institutions during this year’s sessions.
According to state media, they will also tighten control over bodies overseeing the finance sector and scientific and technological work, while “strengthening party-building work” in private businesses.
The moves are likely to blur the lines between the Chinese Communist Party and the government, while also consolidating the party’s control of the private sector.
This comes amid an ongoing corruption crackdown that has resulted in the disappearance of a number of high-profile businessmen in recent years. The most recent missing person was one of China’s top dealmakers in the technology sector.