The 12th National People’s Congress convenes tomorrow in Beijing and, by the time it ends, Xi Jinping will be named head of state and Li Keqiang will be appointed premier.

There’s naturally much speculation around the signals for policy direction that might emerge. Although the events are more akin to formalities than actual decision-making fora, they are being watched closely for clues about the new leadership’s appetite for reforms — which may be revealed through bureaucratic reshuffles, as the FT’s Jamil Anderlini explains. Read more