Mr. Xi will sit in the front of a conference hall, most likely in the Jingxi Hotel, a 60-year-old institution with Soviet-style architecture. The party loyalists arrayed before him are near certain to acclaim his plans during the four-day meeting that started Monday and will consider a draft proposal on “further comprehensively deepening reform.”
Chinese media have sought to create a buzz around Mr. Xi’s plans, but the real test may come later, as any changes in policy filter through the layers of government. Success or failure will largely turn on whether Mr. Xi is able to win renewed confidence from the Chinese population, as well as foreign investors who have grown disenchanted with his policies.
