China's 18th Communist Party Congress opens in Beijing (PHOTOS)

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Today is the opening session of the Chinese Communist Party's five-yearly Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square, Beijing.
- [Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images]
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The meeting is appoint the officials who will lead the Communist Party for the next ten years.
- [Mark RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images]
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Hostesses prepare to welcome guests to the week-long event.
- [MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images]
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More than 2,000 delegates will attend the meeting from 40 constituencies all over China.
- [Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images]
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Delegates arrive wearing the traditional dress of their regions.
- [MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images]
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This delegate represents one of China's ethnic minorities.
- [Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images]
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A delegate from Yunnan province, in the southwest of China.
- [MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images]
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Outgoing Chinese President Hu Jintao addresses the opening session.
- [Feng Li/Getty Images]
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Xi Jingping (L) and Li Keqiang (R) are expected to become president and premier, respectively. They are currently deputies to President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.
- [Feng Li/Getty Images]
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Meanwhile in Hong Kong, pro-democracy activists held a protest in front of the Chinese liaison office to demand an end to one-party rule, the release of political prisoners and greater internet freedoms.
- [Philippe Lopez/AFP/Getty Images]

Meanwhile Beijing is under heavy security, with many government critics detained or under house arrest, and a variety of restrictions imposed on residents of the capital.