Xi urges greater Communist involvement

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday urged a reinvigorated Communist Party to take a stronger role in society and economic development to better address the nation’s “grim” challenges as he opened a twice-a-decade national congress. He called for the party to revitalize Chinese culture, oppose “erroneous” ideology and promote religion that is “Chinese in orientation.”

Speaking in the massive Great Hall of the People near Tiananmen Square, Mr. Xi laid out his vision of a ruling party that serves as the vanguard for everything from defending national security to providing moral guidance to ordinary Chinese.

Mr. Xi wields undisputed power and is expected to get a second fiveyear term as party leader at the gathering. Observers will be watching for signs of whether Xi, 64, may be looking to appoint a successor. While the nation’s presidency is limited to two five-year terms, the tenure of the party’s leader is bound only by tradition.

U.S.-Iran relations sour

The Trump administration escalated a bitter confrontation with Iran on Wednesday, demanding that the United Nations Security Council punish the Iranian government for what the American ambassador called its “outlaw behavior” across the Middle East.

Less than a week ago, Mr. Trump announced that he would disavow the nuclear agreement and might withdraw the United States from the accord altogether unless it was strengthened to his satisfaction.

That decision has deeply angered Iran — which has ruled out any renegotiation — and has raised alarms among many American allies, including Britain, France and Germany, which were among the parties to the agreement.