people's living standards and basically modernising chinese economy. so ultimately he is painting this beautiful picture of wealthy, prosperous society where people can just enjoy life. and this is obviously an aspiration many chinese people share. do you think it isa chinese people share. do you think it is a fair assessment, this rosy picture, as you describe it? well, you might have noticed that in this rosy picture there is really not much room for political legalisation or democratisation. it is very much economically oriented. so obviously if you are looking at the materialistic side of things, you know, it is a fairly rosy picture.

but if you want to think about, you know, further liberalisation, democratisation, then there is really not much there. one sentence that stuck out for me was democracy has been advanced. do you think that is going to raise some eyebrows among human rights groups and dissent in china around the world? among human rights groups and dissent in china around the world7|j dissent in china around the world?|j think dissent in china around the world?” think it is likely to raise eyebrows, obviously, because president xijinping is known eyebrows, obviously, because president xi jinping is known for his political conservatism, and if anything, i think he also emphasised, you know, the progress he has made in terms of ideological indoctrination. and in that sense, you know, you really can say that the regime is moving —— can't say the regime is moving —— can't say the regime is moving —— can't say

the regime is moving towards any kind of democratisation. but obviously the reason they are saying thatis obviously the reason they are saying that is because they claim they have a different understanding of what democracy is all about. will there be any room in the coming week for self—critical analysis of how the party has performed over the last five years? will they really did deep and ask how policies have worked, or is itjust a rosy celebration, to pick a description? well, that is actually a very interesting question. my guess is that most likely they will only be highlighting the achievements, because after all, xi has another five years to go. this congress is highly important for him, you know, because it is obviously... you know, it is consolidation of power. he is going to be highlighting his achievements. and what he is going to achieve in the next five years. soi to achieve in the next five years. so i would be surprised if, you know, there will be a lot of

discussion that is about self criticism, self reflection. so i think really, mostly it is going to be highlighting the achievements. you mentioned their consolidation of power. we of course expect president xi to be reappointed for another five years. do you expect anything else, though, beyond that? because they have been some suggestions that perhaps he could start planting the seeds for staying in powerfor a longer period. what do you think? well, i think there is a possibility that he would like to continue to assert control, even after someone else assumes the presidency. but at this point, i think it would really bea this point, i think it would really be a surprise if he would blatantly go against the party tradition, and, m, go against the party tradition, and, in, just extend his two terms. i

think that would be a surprise. ok, do stay with us. ijust think that would be a surprise. ok, do stay with us. i just want to speak to our correspondent in beijing, robin brandt, who is outside the congress in tiananmen square. robin, i know technology means you might not have heard all of that, but from what you have picked up, what is your assessment so far? well, he is about half an hour in. we saw xijinping walk so far? well, he is about half an hour in. we saw xi jinping walk out, flanked as it were by his two immediate predecessors. that in itself is meant to be a symbolic show of unity. i think what we have had from president xi so far is essentially haven't we done well. in the first five years of his power,

he has talked about poverty, lifting 60 million people out of poverty in this country. that is a phrase we often hear an english translations often hear an english translations of many of his speeches. he has talked about taiwan and hong kong, and their remaining part of the one system of one china. he has talked about deepening reform of the military in this country. he has brought about some very significant changes in the way the military is organised in china, and also in the way that it is commanded, with him at the very top. and also he has talked about his dream, a china dream, at the centre of his political philosophy, to see this country continue to grow in its prosperity and achieved a moderate prosperity. so essentially so far we have had a list of things we have achieved, things xijinping thinks they have done very well. whether we are going to get some significant

pointers, some significant details on going forward, and going forward is what is more important here, because xijinping is what is more important here, because xi jinping entering is what is more important here, because xijinping entering into his second term assuming in those changes that will happen at the top of the party, and at central standing committee, the politburo standing committee, and the level underneath, assuming he gets his allies and the people close to him in those places, replacing some of those people who are retiring, going forward is very important for xi jinping. because he then will have the people in place to support the change that perhaps he wants to try and bring about. and there has been pledges of reform in the past. loud reform in this country on the ownership of the huge state owned enterprises that dominate much of the economy here. we had pledges and promises about that early on in the beginning of his first term but little, frankly has changed there. there hasn't been anything really of significant development there. so

will we get pointers in this speech, perhaps, to the second term for xi jinping, and whether he really wants to train institute some quite radical changes. that will be significant. we are just seeing the delegates applauding president xi jinping, still speaking, i delegates applauding president xi jinping, stillspeaking, ithink, in front of the great hall. let's just listen in for a moment or two. stay with us. translation: to take our owi'i with us. translation: to take our own path, to build this great country with socialism. we have let the peoples of china —— led the peoples of china to march towards a country with better power in the education, defence, et cetera, and we have made unprecedented achievement. the party, the country,

the people, and the military, and the people, and the military, and the greater china has made unprecedented improvements. china is rising in the east of the world, with a very new face. through our long—time striving, socialism with chinese characteristics has entered a new era. this is a new positioning we are taking. socialism with chinese characteristics in this new era means, in the contemporary times, chinese have suffered, but

now have become a great power in the world. we can see the great regionalisation of china in the near future. in the 21st century, technology and science play an important role in the world. we are highly raising socialism with chinese characteristics than. —— banner. this also means socialism with chinese characteristics in our thoughts, are culture, are flourishing. which has helped the

other countries which are trying to grow in the modern time. we also give a new choice of the other countries, and we have contributed chinese wisdom to the world growth. in this new era, it is a crucial time that we need to work further towards achieving socialism with chinese characteristics, to build a whirl of country, and to build a great power in the world. it is also the age for the party for the people

to unite together, and to strive for better better life. it is time for an older generation of chinese to realise regionalisation, and to realise regionalisation, and to realise our chinese dream. it is time for us to take centre stage in the world, and to make greater contributions for the humankind. socialism with chinese characteristics in this new era, our

challenges have become the need for a better life, and the unbalanced growth in different regions. the stability of our country, and we have solved the problems of poverty, and very soon we have solved the problems of poverty, and very soon we are have solved the problems of poverty, and very soon we are heading towards and very soon we are heading towards a well off society. the needs of the people are increasing, not only they have higher needs and demands on culture, they also have higher demands on laws, air quality, security, and environmental

protection. at the same time, our productivity has improved, and our capacity in many fields has entered the top rank. our challenge lies in the top rank. our challenge lies in the imbalanced growth. this has become an obstacle on meeting the demand of the people. we must realise the challenge of our country, and the change of the challenge. it is a historical

challenge, which has presented challenges to the party. and the basis of growth, the imbalance of the growth, needs to be resolved. quality of growth, efficiency of growth, needs to be improved, so that the needs of the people can be met in economy, social, cultural and eco— areas. and better improve people's life, and advance the progress of society. we must realise that the change about challenge...

has not changed what we think the critical time we are facing. we will and for some time still be facing the challenges as an initial growth in the world, and it will not change our position in the world as a growing economy. the whole party needs to bear in mind the initial stage of the socialism in our country. we want to seize the opportunity, and also to keep in mind the path and direction the party and the country is heading to.

we must lead the party and the people to aid here by the four principles, and to be self sufficient, and to build a powerful, strong and beautiful, modernised country —— adhere. comrades, socialism with chinese characteristics in the new era is now entering into a critical time, and it is at an important stage in our history. what we're doing also plays an important role in the history of humankind. our party

needs to firmly hold our belief, and to show the world that we have better productivity and more powerful country. applause. secondly, the mission of the chinese communist party in this new era — a century ago the october revolution has brought us marxism and leninism —we has brought us marxism and leninism — we have learned from marxism and leninism the solution for china. in

the contemporary time, and our movement, and at a time when we were fighting the foreign powers, during the time when we're trying to use marxism and leninism with our working class, chinese communist party was born in 1921. since then, chinese people seek strength and better life. under such spirit, we have ta ken our fate better life. under such spirit, we have taken our fate in our hands. we have taken our fate in our hands. we have over 5000 years of history, and have over 5000 years of history, and have a great civilisation, which makes a great contribution to

humankind. we are a great nation. after the opium war, china entered a very dark time. we had experienced wars and very difficult situations. for the regionalisation of our nation, we need to be persistent and continue our striving and fight. but it was very hard to change the old chinese system to implement the

rejuvenated plan is the greatest plan for us. since the founding of the party, we have always had a view to build a powerful party and v rejuvinisation of the country as our highest goal. and we have turned many great pages in the past. the communist party also realised that to realise the rejuvenation, we must get rid of the imperialism, capitalism and the colonialism to

seek for independence, liberation of our country, and stability in the country. we let people attack the city from the villages, and we struggled for 28 years, and have completed our new democratic revolution. and a new china was founded in 1949 and has freed our country and our people from the old days. the communist party also realised that to have rejuvenation,

we must have a modern system fit for purpose. we have established basic socialism system and have implemented socialist reform and change. we have laid a very good political and systematic foundation and have changed the china that was being bullied to the china that is now taking our fate in our hands. we also realise that, to realise rejuvenation, we need to follow

people's voices, hear what people wa nt people's voices, hear what people want and turn this into a driving force. the communist party lead people into the new revolution, and a new time. and we liberate our thoughts, open our minds, which enables china to make great leaps and bounds to catch up with the developed world in the past decades. regardless, small or big, whether we are going smoothly or against current, communist party have always

let the people through —— lead the people through dangers, difficulties, making sacrifices. we will leave president xi as he addresses the national congress of the communist party at the great hall of the people in tiananmen square, the most important part of the political process in china. let's go to our correspondent, just outside. robin, your thoughts on the last 45 minutes from president xi. he is on to section two and last time there were 12 sections, so prepare to be listening for a long time still to come. he essentially started the speech with a list of achievements of his first five years in power, lifting 60 million people out of poverty, reforming the

military in this country, and he went on. we are having a history lesson at the moment. he has talked about the century of humiliation for china. a nation that was bullied, he said. then he thought about how democracy was brought to this country in 1949. there have been a nod to some problems going forward, in particular wealth inequality is of huge concern. china continues to grow at a rapid pace. that growth is slowing. he knows if the benefits of the change can't be shared among eve ryo ne the change can't be shared among everyone in this country then that is going to be a huge problem. that includes the millions still living in rural parts of china and the significant middle—class, who will be half billion strong zone. he is on to section two of what could be 12 sections so prepare for a lot more from president xi in his opening speech at the 19th communist party congress. ok, robin, we will

keep watching and listening, and we willjoin president xi and you in a few moments' time. stay with bbc news. well, wednesday is expected to be quite a mixed day across the uk. there is certainly some rain in the forecast. the clouds have been gathering for the last 24 hours or so. some quite pretty pictures, gloomy pictures in places. here is one from dorset, and this is the weather front moving in from the south. here it is as it drifts in from the bay of biscay across france. and this is going to bring some quite wet weather for a time across southern and some central areas, particularly around the midlands, during the course of wednesday. so first thing in the morning, i think, from the southern counties through the south midlands, into the east midlands, there'll be some rain around. but many northern areas, northern england, northern wales, clear here. and, across the far north of scotland, even a touch of grass frost in one or two areas, particularly in those sheltered glens. so let's have a look at the morning weather, then.

this is 8:00am, and it really is looking very cloudy, very dull in many areas, temperatures around 11 or 12 degrees. and then we move a little bit further northwards, into northern wales, the north—west of england, around cumbria there, and into northern ireland. here, i think, some sunshine first thing in the morning. it is going to feel a lot fresher, so a much better start to the day. but, even here, notice that there are a few spots of rain through the lowlands, here in glasgow and edinburgh. but this is really light, and we are back into the sunshine at 8:00am in the morning across most of yorkshire, and then back into that weather front across the midlands, east anglia, and down into the south—east. now, through the course of the morning, into the afternoon, what is going to happen with this weather front is it'll move a little bit further northwards. but it is also going to introduce some very muggy air, so it is not going to feel particular cold across the south. it is going to be sort of that damp, muggy, grey sort of feeling, with on—and—off light rain or drizzle. you can see those temperatures, despite the cloud and the rain, getting up to 17 in london.

but then the other side of this weather front here, further north, it is a lot fresher. it is only 13 degrees. here is a look at thursday. you can see it is relatively quiet, but cloudy, with a few spots of rain in eastern areas, but this weather front of low pressure moving in. and that is going to introduce some wet and windy weather to some of these south—western and western areas during the course of thursday evening. and then, on friday, that weather front and the low pressure is moving northwards across the uk. quite brisk conditions, windy conditions for a time. fresher there in scotland and northern ireland, at 13. still 16 in london. and then we are watching this next big area of low pressure heading our way. a lot of isobars, the track of the low still a little uncertain. it is probably going to go a little bit further north. but severe gales are on the cards, especially in the south. welcome to bbc news, broadcasting to viewers in north america and around the globe. our top stories: its power politics chinese style as the country's political elite prepares to unveil its vision for the future.

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