The overseas edition of the official People's Daily ran an article yesterday saying the 18th party congress would take place in the second half of the year, and that preparations were going smoothly.
The article followed recent overseas reports that the Communist Party might postpone its once-in-a-decade power reshuffle, scheduled to take place at the congress, from the autumn to the winter.
Central committee party leaders had demanded that the election of congress delegates be finished by the end of June, the article said. Party branches from 31 mainland provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will put forward 2,270 delegates. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau will not send delegates.
By yesterday, 19 provincial-level branches had released a preliminary list of candidates, and the preparation work had followed instructions issued by Beijing as early as November, which included calls to increase the number of delegates who are labourers, engineers and women.
As is common in the lead-up to such congresses every five years, the party mouthpiece stayed vague on the exact timing of the meeting.
The coming congress will decide the make-up of the Politburo Standing Committee, as seven of the nine members are stepping down.