China’s congress ending with unity behind Xi’s vision for national greatness

BY ELAINE KURTENBACH AND KEN MORITSUGU

BEIJING (AP) — China’s national congress is wrapping up its annual session Monday with the usual show of near-unanimous support for plans designed to carry out ruling Communist Party leader Xi Jinping’s vision for the nation.

This year’s weeklong event, replete with meetings carefully scripted to allow no surprises, has highlighted how China’s politics have become ever more calibrated to elevate Xi.

Monday’s agenda is lacking the usual closing news conference by the premier, who in the past was responsible for economic affairs as the party’s No. 2 leader — the one time each year when journalists could directly question a top leader.

The annual news conferences have been held most years since 1988, and the decision to scrap the event emphasizes Li Qiang ‘s relatively weak status. Past premiers have played a much larger role in leading key economic policies such as modernizing