Lindsey Hilsum

A conclave of secretive men will gather next week to decide China's future. It is a glimpse of the old China: party cadres in smoke-filled rooms plotting who's in and who's out of the politburo. The 17th party congress is President Hu Jintao's opportunity to consolidate his power and spell out his vision for his next five years at the top. In the run-up to near year's Olympics, any form of dissent is being quelled. The Chinese government has shut down over 18,000 blogs and websites, and is accused of using violent intimidation against journalists.