by Patrick BAERT BEIJING, China (AFP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping, the uncontested leader of the world’s most populous nation, heads a pivotal plenary of the ruling party’s top figures next week that will set the tone for his bid for long-term rule. From Monday to Thursday, some 400 members of the Communist Party’s all-powerful Central Committee gather in Beijing behind closed doors. The only such meeting this year paves the way to its 20th […]