What's in China's DNA - war or peace?

THE long-expected 19th Congress of the Communist Party of China will kick off on Wednesday in Beijing; and the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, is expected to emerge with an even tighter grip on the levers of power. The party constitution will be changed with the incorporation of his name into that document - something that has not happened since Deng Xiaoping's death 20 years ago.

The Chinese people will be exhorted to study the "thoughts" of the current leader, just as was the case with Mao Zedong from the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until his death in 1976.

Mr Xi has gathered the reins of power over internal security, foreign policy and the economy in his own hands. This reverses the collective leadership that had been China's hallmark in recent years.