Beijing (CNN) -- Divining what is going in China's opaque political world is like reading tea leaves: it may be interesting but it's ultimately a futile exercise. The 18th Congress of the 82-million-member Chinese Communist Party, expected to happen in mid-October, will be a landmark event -- it will usher in a new generation of leaders to rule China for the next 10 years. Yet, little is known about what to expect. Some changes are imminent. Hu Jintao, the incumbent president and party general secretary, will step down and be replaced by Xi Jinping, the current vice president. Many members of the 25-member Politburo and the 371-member Central Committee are also expected to be replaced. These are the two policy-making bodies in the party's pyramid organization.
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18th Congress of the 82-million-member Chinese Communist Party chooses new leadership
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President Hu Jintao will step down and likely be replaced by Vice President Xi Jinping
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Political maneuvering has increased among various camps as congress nears
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Two camps dominate: that of retired president Jiang Zemin and that of President Hu
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