Feng Li/Getty ImagesDrones have been banned, clubs closed, and pollution has been cut to deliver perfectly blue skies in time for China’s 19th National Congress of the Communist Party in Beijing this week. Beginning on October 18, the congress will deliver a clear picture of President Xi Jinping’s economic policies and political intentions for his second five-year term. Onlookers will be watching closely for signs Xi is gravitating towards a period of continuity or dramatic change. As the week-long event — hotly-anticipated by analysts, strategists, and financial markets — unfolds, this is what you need to know. What is it? China doesn’t have democratic elections, so the purpose of the National Congress is to select the party’s leadership and announce the vision and policies guiding the next five-year political term.