(http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/MSNBC/Components/Photo/_new/121110-zemin-hmed-4p.photoblog600.jpg)Jason Lee / ReutersChinese President Hu Jintao, left, applauds as former Chinese President Jiang Zemin waves at the opening ceremony of the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on Nov. 8, 2012.By John Pomfret and Benjamin Kang Lim, ReutersAs China's Communist Party opened its 18th Congress in Beijing, outgoing President and party chief Hu Jintao was the first senior leader to enter the Great Hall of the People, greeted by thunderous applause from over 2,000 delegates as he walked to his front-row seat.
Hu was followed closely by a man who hasn't held a formal position of power in China for a decade.
Follow @NBCNewsUS (http://twitter.com/NBCNewsUS)Former president Jiang Zemin, 86, his hair dyed walnut brown, shook hands with other comrades and smiled as he entered ahead of the rest of China's core leadership, including Xi Jinping, the anointed next party general secretary and president.
The procession unambiguously validated Jiang's position at the pinnacle of China's politics, and he has worked assiduously to make sure his influence will be felt throughout the next leadership, which will be unveiled publicly on Thursday.
NBCNews