Party Congress raises Xi's prestige and power

Significance

His name has been written into the Party charter, and he has installed two allies on the Politburo Standing Committee to oversee critical portfolios.

Impacts

• Xi's scepticism of markets and passive resistance by alienated mid-to-lower-level bureaucrats make dramatic economic policy shifts unlikely.
• The Standing Committee members do not owe their careers to Xi's patronage and will be able to restrain him from arbitrary rule.
• The wider Politburo includes a host of rapidly promoted Xi loyalists, which will help the durability of Xi's influence post-2022.