BEIJING -- The man expected to become China's next leader is the only top politician re-elected to the Communist Party's Central Committee, the government announced Thursday -- the most concrete sign yet of his ascent.

The official Xinhua News Agency said current President Jiang Zemin was not on the list, indicating his expected retirement from a formal party role.

"Jiang Zemin, the core of the third-generation leadership of the Communist Party of China, and five of his colleagues in the party's top decision-making body, are not on a new Central Committee of the CPC elected here this morning," Xinhua said.

It specifically identified Hu as "the only member" of the last party congress' Standing Committee to be re-elected. The Standing Committee is the inner sanctum of party leadership -- and, by extension, the leadership of China.