China Communist Party to begin once-in-5-years congress on Oct. 18

China's Communist Party will convene on Oct. 18 a once-in-five-years congress, official media said Thursday, at which Xi Jinping is likely to solidify his status as the country's strongest leader in decades.The congress, the most important political event in China this year, is expected to run for about 10 days in Beijing and be attended by more than 2,000 delegates from across the country.A report from China's state-run Xinhua News Agency did not say how long the forthcoming congress will run.As Xi begins his second five-year term as head of the ruling party, the 19th National Congress wil…READ FULL ARTICLE