NEWS// China's president rises power

At its meeting in late October, China's Communist Party Congress elevated President Xi Jinping to a level of authority not seen since Mao Zedong.  It granted President Xi another five years in power as general secretary. But since Xi has no obvious successor in the senior-most ranks he will probably serve well beyond 2022.

In addition, the Communist Party amended its constitution to insert Xi Jinping Thought as a guiding principle for the party. This means Xi now has the same status in China as its most important historical figures, Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.

Source: Washington Post, CNN, ABC News, Chicago Tribune