China wrapped up this year's annual session of the country's parliament after setting the scene for a controversial third term for President Xi Jinping, and with its neighbor Japan increasingly on guard against the Asian power's ambition.
In a bid to cement the authority of the Communist Party, the National People's Congress on Thursday also adopted a resolution to alter Hong Kong's electoral system so that the mainland can exclude pro-democracy activists from the political arena in the territory.
The Chinese government also pledged measures to make China the world's biggest economy by 2035, surpassing the United States, in a move that highlights Xi's eagerness to remain in power at least for the next decade.