The delegates will be chosen through 38 electoral units, unchanged from the previous congress. The party said allocations will be based mainly on the number of party organisations and members, while also taking previous congresses’ allocations into account, said Xinhua.

The congress, held every five years, sets China’s broad political direction and selects the party’s Central Committee, making it a key event in determining the country’s top leadership.

The latest rules say the proportion of female delegates from provinces should generally account for no less than their share of local party membership. All 31 provincial-level delegations to the previous congress ultimately exceeded that share, according to an official post-election account.

The rules also call for greater representation of workers in newer forms of employment, such as those working in the digital economy.

Delegates are chosen through 38 electoral units covering regions and parts of the party-state system. Candidates are nominated from grassroots party organisations and vetted through successive levels before party congresses or representative meetings hold the final elections, with contested ballots required to have more than 15% more candidates than seats.

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