During the congress, a new guiding ideology, labeled Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, was written into the party's constitution.

Five members of the 18th Politburo Standing Committee left the body due to having reached retirement age, and five new members joined the 19th Standing Committee: Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Wang Huning, Zhao Leji, and Han Zheng.

[2] The 6th Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee, which sat 24–27 October 2016, in its communique stated that the 19th National Congress would be held in Beijing in the second half of 2017.

[10] The People's Liberation Army makes up one of the six central units and is the largest in term of delegate quota.

[10] For instance, Shanghai has historically sent the highest number of delegates to the party congresses among regional electoral units.

[13] For instance, of the delegates elected at local party congresses of the Jiangxi Provincial Committee nominated 90 people.

[10] At the October 18, 2017 opening session, General Secretary Xi Jinping gave a speech laying out a comprehensive approach to China's developmental path.

[15]: 21  While the speech reflected an updating of some policy issues that had been on the Party's agenda, it put forward a more concrete implementation strategy.

[15]: 21 Xi warned against complacency and described "Three Critical Battles" that required focus: de-risking, poverty alleviation, and pollution control.

[15]: 22 Xi stated that the primary contradiction in China was "between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people's ever-growing needs for a better life.

[16]: 73 The Congress ratified changes to the Constitution of the Chinese Communist Party, including the incorporation of Xi Jinping Thought.

However, in July 2017, Sun was abruptly removed from office and then expelled from the party, upsetting the carefully calibrated balance prior to the opening of the congress.

Wang made a media appearance in 2016 during which he stated that he was anticipating retiring soon due to his age, though it did not reduce the speculation.

Ultimately, Wang retired from all party bodies at the congress, but became vice-president, a largely symbolic position, in 2018, signaling that he would continue to play a limited role in state affairs.

[23] Xi and Li Keqiang renewed their terms on the Politburo Standing Committee; five new members joined, listed below in order of precedence.

The list was consistent with that released by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on 22 October, showing that external media sources continued to have access to the last-minute deliberations of the Beijing leadership.

Liu and Zhang continued to hold seats in the Central Committee and were eventually given ceremonial positions with the CPPCC and NPC, respectively.

Out of a total of fifteen 'open' seats, at least ten of the individuals promoted to fill them were close associates of Xi.

[29] Since 2007 the higher ranks of the party apparatus has seen its median age increase while retaining retirement limits.

[30] The 19th National Congress re-affirmed the goal of transitioning solely state-owned enterprises towards mixed (both state and private) ownership.