The Power Shift | China's Grand Old Men step into limelight

The first row of the presidium is a rare showcase of the Grand Old Men of Chinese politics.

Here, at the Great Hall of the People, all retired party leaders – except the 96-year-old Wan Li and the 88-year-old Qiao Shi – and previous standing committee members were on stage. Some of them even appeared younger and better-looking than the incumbent leaders.

Zeng Qinghong, once vice-president and a famous king-maker, was looking as feisty as ever with his bright red tie, which contrasted perfectly with his shiny dark hair. Zeng is 73.

With the amount of vigour he was oozing as he sat at centre stage today, God only knows why he chose to step down from the standing committee five years ago. He appeared much healthier than Wu Bangguo, the current top legislature and No 2 in the standing committee, who is two years younger but gives off a sickly impression.

But it was octogenarian Jiang Zemin who outshone everybody on the opening day of the Communist Party’s most important gathering in a decade.