Xi’s Communist Party reasserts itself to ordinary Chinese

FILE – In this Sept. 30, 2017 file photo, Chinese President Xi Jinping toasts during a reception at the Great Hall of the People on the eve of the Oct. 1 National Day holiday in Beijing. Under President Xi, China’s ruling Communist Party is reasserting itself after years of waning influence over the daily affairs of its citizens, even while it maintained an iron grip on the military and political system. Those efforts will likely get a boost when the party meets for its national congress, when Xi is expected to receive a second term as party leader. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)