Beijing: Signalling top level leadership changes in the ruling Communist Party of China, Vice-President Zeng Qinghong and two other top leaders were today not included in its new Central Committee, the party's top decision making body.

Zeng, 68, a member of the all powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo, is not in the new Central Committee, the official Xinhua news agency reported, indicating changes at top level leadership. Similarly, two other members, Wu Guanzheng, 69, and Luo Gan, 72, had also not been included in the 200-odd Central Committee which was elected at the conclusion of the seven-day 17th CPC National Congress here this morning.

The Central Committee will choose the Politburo which in turn will pick the Politburo Standing Committee, the innermost ring of power, tomorrow, when the new line-up of leadership that will rule the world's most populous nation till 2012, will emerge. President Hu Jintao, who is set to secure a second five-year term as the CPC boss and consolidate his power, and Premier Wen Jiabao were elected to the Central Committee. Zeng, Wu and Luo sat in the front row of the podium as executive members of the presidium of the congress and the delegates showed respect and appreciation to them for the "breadth of their political vision and sterling integrity", the report said.

Source : PTI