On October 22 the Vatican confirmed it had renewed a deal with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) relating to the appointment of bishops in the country. Renewal of the 2018 deal has been fiercely criticised by Cardinal Joseph Zen (the veteran former Bishop of Hong Kong, currently on trial there on trumped-up charges) as well by Cardinal Gerhard Cardinal Müller, but had been hinted at by Pope Francis. It coincided with a congress in Beijing which handed CCP leader Xi Jinping an unprecedented third term as party boss.