A conference of China's most senior leaders is drawing to a close as the country faces an autumn of political transition.
The Communist Party of China is coming through a turbulent time in the wake of the scandal surrounding the death of the British businessman Neil Heywood.
This week Gu Kailai - the wife of one of China's most senior politicians Bo Xilai - was given a suspended death sentence for Mr Heywood's murder.
But the party has still not announced what is to become of her husband Bo Xilai - he is being investigated for "party indiscretions".
Bo Xilai and the shape of the party for the next 10 years are top of the agenda for members who have been meeting in the Chinese town of Beidaihe.
Had it not been for the Neil Heywood scandal Bo Xilai would probably have been amongst the high-ranking party officials meeting in secret at the seaside resort.
Once every 10 years a new Secretary of the Communist Party is chosen who then automatically becomes president.
State media has confirmed that Xi Jinping has been in Beidaihe to meet advisers and academics.? He is expected to be announced as the next party secretary.
That announcement will come at a crucial autumn congress in Beijing - but the details of the final line-up of who will be unveiled as part of the inner circle alongside the new president is being thrashed out now.
The?Communist Party decides amongst itself who gets the top jobs.
There had been much chatter that Bo Xilai - already part of the 25-member politburo - would have got a seat on the even more powerful Standing Committee - the top nine most senior politicians in China.
Beidaihe is a small unremarkable place but one which has been used for a generation by China's political leaders for their summer retreat.
It is about 190 miles and a four-hour drive from the capital Beijing.
As you enter the town it is immediately clear Beidaihe's usually ordinary status has been overtaken by something else.
As you drive around trying to get a glimpse of the leaders' luxury retreat there are roadblocks preventing ordinary Chinese getting anywhere near.
There is nothing particularly strange in that - all political leaders have high security. But what is interesting about Beidaihe is that officially the Communist Party hardly acknowledges the event is even happening.
As we tried to walk along a beach road near the leaders' complex of villas we asked a security man why we could not go down the road. He grinned and waved his arms and told us simply he couldn't tell us. It is the elephant in the town.
One holiday-maker who was on the beach with his family from Beijng said: "It's a public secret. You know something's happening because there's so much security."
The only real evidence that people other than holiday-makers are around is when the traffic suddenly grinds to a halt and a convoy of government vehicles swishes by.
But on the beach at Beidaihe people just take it in their stride. One man we spoke to said: "We only think about our business and how much we're earning.? I don't care about the leadership change as long as the country's peaceful."
Another young woman said simply: "My biggest hope is for the leaders to have a good rest here so they can serve the people."
Source: http://news.sky.com/story/975956
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