China's Communist Party on Sunday endorsed Hu Jintao's new economic model for the country, while opening the way for a top leadership reshuffle that will likely see the president consolidate his power.
Following the end of its five-yearly Congress, Hu, 64, is almost certain to be given a second term as party chief on Monday alongside a revamped line-up of leaders in the nation's most powerful political organ.
That body, the party's Standing Committee of the Politburo, currently has nine members but will see as many as four new faces in Monday's reshuffle, following the complex political events that took place at the Congress.
Hu gave a glowing assessment of the week-long gathering, which brought more than 2,200 top cadres to Beijing, to outline the party's goals for the next five years, as well as finalise the leadership manoeuvrings.
"It has drawn up a grand blueprint for continuing to build a moderately prosperous society," Hu said in a closing speech at the Great Hall of the People, although there was little in the way of much-touted democratic reforms.
While much speculation has focused on the new generation of leaders, and whether any of them will emerge as the clear frontrunner to succeed Hu in 2012, the president appeared to use the Congress to cement his hold over the party.
In that regard, the Congress appointed many Hu allies to the new 204-member Central Committee, which as its first task will on Monday formally approve the new Standing Committee. The Congress also saw the party's constitution amended to include Hu's economic model for the country that he has termed "scientific development".
This broadly means a greater emphasis on addressing environment concerns and China's army of poor as the nation develops, rather than a sole focus on breakneck economic growth as was the case under Hu's predecessor Jiang Zemin.
The move to include Hu's ideology in the constitution was seen as a sign that the president has been able to shake off some of the lingering influence of Jiang since succeeding him five years ago.
The make-up of the new Central Committee was also seen to have fewer cadres regarded as close to Jiang, who continues to wield some influence.
"By and large, Hu Jintao should be quite happy," Hong Kong-based writer and veteran China watcher Willy Lam told AFP. "Among the 204 Central Committee members, he successfully got most of his proteges named."
One high-profile resignation on Sunday was Vice President Zeng Qinghong, 68, a man generally seen as being aligned to Jiang and who saw his tenure in the Standing Committee end.
Zeng, Wu Guanzheng, 69, the head of the party's disciplinary committee, and security chief Luo Gan, 72, were not named on the party's new Central Committee, meaning they cannot be reappointed to the Standing Committee.
One other position in the Standing Committee remains vacant due to the death of vice premier Huang Ju in June this year.
Two of the younger generation widely expected to be promoted into the Standing Committee are Shanghai party chief Xi Jinping, 54, and Li Keqiang, 52, head of north-eastern Liaoning province and a political ally of Hu.
Xi and Li are regarded as the two favourites in the race to succeed Hu in 2012.
Among the other notable changes in the Central Committee line-up on Sunday was the removal of Vice Premier Wu Yi, known as the "iron lady" and the nation's most powerful woman.
Wu, 69, is believed to have not been named to the party's new Central Committee because of her age. Defence Minister Cao Gangchuan, 71, was similarly not reappointed to the Central Committee.
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