All eyes turned to China's secretive leadership succession today as delegates at a pivotal Communist Party Congress hailed President Jiang Zemin's move to embrace the new capitalist elite.
Jiang offered no clear clues in his speech opening the 16th congress yesterday as to who will lead the world's most populous nation if he and other leaders over 70 retire from their party posts as expected next week.
In the Great Hall of the People, delegates meeting to discuss the speech were tight-lipped on a reshuffle in which Jiang, 76, is expected to hand his top post to Vice President Hu Jintao, 59, but cling to power by installing allies in key positions.
One delegate from the eastern province of Shandong let slip that the party's Politburo, made up of the 21 most powerful people in China, was also meeting on Saturday, but did not reveal what was on their agenda.
"What personnel changes?" Shanghai party boss Chen Liangyu snapped at reporters when pressed on the leadership changes.
"There are no personnel changes in Shanghai."
Chen, counted among Jiang's proteges, took over the top job in China's financial center last month and is now likely to take a place on the Politburo after the congress.
His predecessor, Huang Ju, is also a Jiang ally and tipped for a place on the Politburo Standing Committee - the party's top decision-making body which now has seven members.
But the leadership change - billed as the first orderly succession in Communist China - is so sensitive that only a tiny elite circle know the final line-up, Chinese sources say.
Those lower down the party ladder can only swap rumors and tidbits of information. Ordinary Chinese are left in the dark.
"We can say anything we want," said Li Liucheng, 44, owner of a news stand on a busy Beijing thoroughfare. "In the end it's just silly and empty words.
"My first priority is to survive. After that, I'll start thinking about new leaders," he said. "We hear Hu Jintao is up next. What can we do even if we object?"
Police detained outspoken democracy activist Fang Jue this week and have hauled away several protesters from in front of the Great Hall. On Saturday, they hauled away at least six, including one who knelt in front of the building and scattered leaflets.