(Reuters) – China’s 20th Communist Party Congress kicks off on Sunday, with Xi Jinping widely expected to clinch his third five-year stint in charge – a mandate that would secure his stature as the country’s most powerful ruler since founding leader Mao Zedong.
* Little is known about who will be promoted into which key roles on the Politburo and its seven-member Standing Committee. Here are some of the leading contenders and some scenarios to look out for.
* Leaders face a difficult time, with a slowing economy, questions over whether and how to exit its strict zero-COVID policy, rising tensions over Taiwan and high-profile protests over several issues this year. Markets are closely watching how Beijing manages these challenges.
* Meanwhile, the capital is stepping up security and COVID curbs, and raising red political banners for the once-every-five-year event that brings together 2,300 party members at the vast Great Hall of the People on Tiananmen Square.
(Compiled by Lincoln Feast)