When the Chinese Communist Party holds its 20th congress this Sunday, many eyes around the world will be watching. General Secretary Xi Jinping is poised to launch a third term in office, a move we haven’t seen since the end of the Mao Zedong era.

But the truth is there’s nothing to see here. China’s party congress is the country’s most important political event because of its symbolic value, not any practical functions. By shining a spotlight on this political ritual, the West is mostly just lending legitimacy to the CCP.