Secretary Hu's report at the Congress made several references to these deficiencies, suggesting that problems of governance continue to preoccupy central leaders: "The Party's ability to govern has not been fully competent to deal with the new situation and tasks ..." and "... the democratic legal building is still unable to completely adapt to the requirements of expanding people's democracy and of economic and social development.... "
Despite these calls for greater political pluralism, the Party at its 17 th Party Congress endorsed no major political reforms and further made clear that its monopoly on power would continue. In addition, rather than the standard practice of designating an "heir apparent" to succeed Secretary Hu Jintao, the 17 th Party Congress appeared to field two potential candidates for this post. But the prospect of two rival candidates competing with one another for the next five years also could raise new uncertainties in the succession process. The Politburo

The Politburo sits at the top of the Chinese Communist Party's political structure. Of the latter, two—Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang—have been tipped as frontrunners to be Hu Jintao's successor as Party Secretary at the 18 th Party Congress in 2012.
The Chinese Communist Party's 17th Congress, held from October 15 to 21, 2007, demonstrated the Party's efforts to try to adapt and redefine itself in the face of emerging economic and social challenges while still trying to maintain its authoritarian one-Party rule. The Congress validated and re-emphasized the priority on continued economic development; expanded that concept to include more balanced and sustainable development; announced that the Party would seek to broaden political participation by expanding intra-Party democracy; and selected two potential rival candidates, Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang, with differing philosophies (rather than one designated successor-in-waiting) as possibilities to succeed to the top Party position in five years. More will be known about the Party's future prospects and the relative influence of its two potential successors once the National People's Congress meets in early 2008 to select key government ministers. This report will not be updated.