China says key party congress to conclude on Oct. 24

A paramilitary policeman stands guard before a giant portrait of late Chinese Chairman Mao Zedong at the Tiananmen gate, a day before the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China begins, in Beijing, China, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Aly Song

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's 19th Communist Party Congress will close on Oct. 24, a week after it opens, party spokesman Tuo Zhen said on Tuesday.

Tuo made the remarks at a briefing a day ahead of the opening of the key, twice-a-decade meeting that will see President Xi Jinping map out his ambitions for the country and further tighten his grip on power.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo and Judy Hua; Writing by Michael Martina)