China's Communist Party wrapped up a pivotal week-long meeting in Beijing on Wednesday, one day before unveiling the country's top leaders for the next decade.

Gathering in Beijing's Great Hall of the People for the closing ceremony of the 18th Party Congress, over 2,000 hand-picked delegates selected the few hundred members of the party's Central Committee.

As expected, Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Le Keqiang were named to the head of the Central Committee. It is seen as the first step toward nominating the two for the presidency and premiership.

On Thursday, President Hu Jintao is expected to step down as party chief and hand the position to Xi for the next 10 years. At the same time, the members of the elite Politburo Standing Committee, China's top decision making body, will be named.