EXPLAINER: What to expect from China's party congress

China’s ruling Communist Party is holding its twice-a-dece national congress starting Sunday, at which Xi Jinping is expected to receive a third five-year term as uncontested he of party, government and military of world’s second-largest economy .

proceedings surrounding event are shrouded in secrecy, as is typical in China’s authoritarian one-party state. But congress, 20th in its more than 100-year history, is expected to produce a new set of leers handpicked by Xi, who faces no term limits and has yet to indicate a successor after a dece in top spot.

96 million-member party is led by a Central Committee and Politburo. ir top cres, who now number seven, form powerful Politburo Standing Committee.

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WHAT IS AT STAKE AT THIS YEAR'S MEETING?

No significant changes to political or economic system are expected. Using a wide-ranging anti-corruption campaign and relentless crackdown on dissidents and free speech, Xi has eliminated virtually all opposition and placed loyalists in most of key positions.

Yet his hard-line “zero-COVID" policy that has placed tens of millions under quarantine, severely restricted travel and imposed a growing economic cost has sparked rare protests, including appearance of anti-Xi banners in Beijing 's high-tech business district of Haidian this week.

Authorities refused to comment on incident and shut down all discussion about it on internet — only sphere of public life where criticism of regime is possible, at least until party censors move in.

Xi's ministration says such tight COVID-19 controls are only way to prevent a wider outbreak in world's most populous nation.

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HOW WILL CONGRESS AFFECT CHINA GLOBALLY?

China's more assertive foreign policy, sometimes described as “wolf warrior" approach based on name of a popular action film, has prompted a backlash from U.S., Europe and regional neighbors. China's claim to virtually entire South China Sea has raised tensions with fellow claimants, U.S. and ors, while its forces have clashed with Indian troops along ir disputed border.

Beijing's close alignment of its foreign policy with Russia and refusal to criticize Moscow's invasion of Ukraine have also heightened tensions with West.

That's also focused attention on China's threat to inve self-governing island democracy of Taiwan to bring it under its control, a move that would draw in U.S. and allies such as Japan and Australia.

Xi has shown no sign of a change in foreign policy direction, although China's sharply reduced economic growth rate and challenges facing his signature “Belt and Ro" foreign investment program are seen as reducing his leverage. internment of more than 1 million Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and quashing of opposition voices and free speech in Hong Kong have also drawn bro criticism abro, placing many local leers under U.S., U.K. and EU travel and financial restrictions.

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WHO IS REPRESENTED AT CONGRESS?

State media report that 2,296 representatives were “elected” to congress. All candidates are carefully vetted and no open campaigning is allowed. Of those, 771 are described as frontline party members who hold jobs outside of party bureaucracy, eir in armed forces, which functions as party's military branch, or in agriculture or technical professions.

party and congress's makeup remain heavily dominated by men from China's main Han ethnic group. Women and members of minority groups account for 27% and 11.5% of representatives respectively, according to official state news agency, Xinhua.

Following what is expected to be a lengthy policy dress Sunday, congress will be conducted mainly behind closed doors.

If past protocols are followed, new leership will be unveiled at its closing session, with is highest-ranking members emerging from behind a curtain to take ir places in hierarchy based on ir distance to left and right of Xi.