China's ruling Communist Party declared its General Secretary Xi Jinping the "core" of its leadership on Thursday, the official Xinhua news agency reported, elevating his already powerful status.
A communique issued by top party leaders after a four-day meeting in Beijing called on all its members to "closely unite around the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core", Xinhua said.
The announcement followed a gathering of 400 top party leaders in Beijing for a meeting known as the Sixth Plenum to discuss changes to party structure and discipline.
