The 17th National Congress

Date: October 15-21,2007

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 2,213 delegates and 57 specially invited delegates

Party membership: 74 million

Major contents: The theme of the congress is to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, continue to emancipate the mind, persist in reform and opening up, pursue development in a scientific way, promote social harmony, and strive for new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

The opening ceremony of the congress was presided over by Comrade Wu Bangguo. On behalf of the Sixteenth CPC Central Committee, Comrade Hu Jintao delivered a report to the congress entitled Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive for New Victories in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in all Respects. The congress adopted Resolution on the Report of the 16th CPC Central Committee, Resolution on the Amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China (which took effect immediately), and Resolution on the Work Report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The Seventeenth CPC Central Committee, composed of 204 members and 167 alternate members, as well as the new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and its 127 members were elected through anonymous voting.

The First Plenum of the 17th CPC Central Committee elected Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang to be members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Hu Jintao was re-elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and was elected chairman of the Central Military Commission. The session also approved He Guoqiang as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 16th National Congress

Date: November 8-14, 2002

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 2,114 full delegates and 40 specially invited delegates

Party membership: 66 million

Major contents: The theme of the Congress is: The whole Party should hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, fully act on the important thought of “Three Represents”, carry forward the Party’s cause into the future, keep pace with the times, build a well-off society in an all-round way, speed up socialist modernization and work hard to create a new situation in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The opening ceremony of the Congress was presided over by Comrade Li Peng. On behalf of the Fifteenth CPC Central Committee, Comrade Jiang Zemin delivered a report to the Congress entitled Build a Well-off Society in an All-round Way and Create a New Situation in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. The Congress adopted Resolution on the Report of the 15th CPC Central Committee, Resolution on the Amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China (which took effect immediately), and Resolution on the Work Report of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The Sixteenth CPC Central Committee composed of 198 members and 158 alternate members and the new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection comprising 121 members were elected through anonymous voting.

The First Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee elected Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Hu Jintao was elected general secretary of the CPC. Jiang Zemin was re-elected chairman of the Central Military Commission. The session also approved Wu Guanzheng as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 15th National Congress

Date: September 12-18, 1997

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 2,048 full delegates and 60 specially invited delegates

Party membership: 58 million

Major contents: This congress which was held in the crucial period of China's reform and opening up and the drive for modernization served as a link between the past and the future. It was to mobilize the people of the country to join hands to push forward the undertaking of building socialism with Chinese characteristics into the 21st century. It will become a milestone in Chinese history of development. At the congress, Jiang Zemin, on behalf of the members of the 14th CPC Central Committee, delivered a report titled Hold High The Great Banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory for an All-Round Advancement of the Cause of Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics into the 21st Century.

The report, which made a scientific summary of the history, prepared for the future, and drew up a cross-century blueprint for China's reform, opening and socialist modernization drive, served as the CPC's political declaration and program of action for the next century. The congress endorsed a resolution on Jiang's report and approved the reforming and development programs in economic, political and cultural fields expounded in the report. The resolution pointed out that the coming period until the first decade of the next century will be crucial for China's modernization drive, and efforts must be made relating to the following aspects: to promote the fundamental shift of the economic system and of the mode of economic growth; to establish a sound socialist market economy and to maintain sustained, rapid and sound development of the national economy so as to lay a solid foundation for achieving basic modernization by the middle of the next century; under the precondition of adhering to the Four Cardinal Principles, to continue to press ahead with the reform of the political structure, further extend the scope of socialist democracy and improve the socialist legal system, governing the country according to the law and making it a socialist country ruled by law; to strengthen ideological and ethic building, see to it that science and technology as well as education are made a priority, and positively develop various cultural undertakings.

The congress also deliberated and adopted the amendments to the Constitution of the CPC, believing that establishing Deng Xiaoping Theory as the Party's guiding ideology and stipulating in its Constitution that the CPC takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory as its guides for action is of great and far-reaching significance to guarantee that the CPC lead the Chinese people along the socialist road with Chinese characteristics to build China into a powerful, democratic and civilized modern socialist country.

At the congress, 193 members and 151 alternate members were elected into the new Central Committee. A total of 115 members were elected to form the new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. The new Central Committee was strengthened with more middle-aged and young faces, the average age being 55. The educational level of members rose notably, with 92.4 percent of them receiving university and college education, up nine percentage points than the previous committee. Of the new Central Committee members, 38 are from ethnic minorities and 25 are female, a slight increase compared with their respective figure among the pervious Central Committee members. The First Plenum of the 15th CPC Central Committee elected Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Jiang Zemin was re-elected general secretary of the CPC and also chairman of the Central Military Commission. The session also approved Wei Jianxing as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 14th National Congress

Date: October 12-18, 1992

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 1,989 full delegates and 46 specially invited delegates

Party membership: 51 million

Major contents: The congress was held taking into account that China's reform and opening-up and modernization drive has stepped into a new era. It was a democratic and unified meeting, imbued with the spirits of reforming, opening up, advancing with a down-to-earth approach. Jiang Zemin, on behalf of the members of the 13th CPC Central Committee, delivered a report titled Accelerating the Reform, the Opening to the Outside World and the Drive for Modernization, So As to Achieve Greater Successes in Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics. The meeting acknowledged the substantial achievements made in reforming and opening-up as well as in the modernization drive since the end of 1978, systematically summarized the practices and experiences over the previous 14 years, made a brilliant exposition of Deng Xiaoping Theory of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, and outlined the major tasks in the reform and economic and social development in the 1990s. It declared that the target of China's economic restructuring was to establish a socialist market economic system.

The congress elected 189 members and 130 alternate members to form the new Central Committee. The new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection consisted of 108 members. At the First Plenary Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Qiao Shi, Li Ruihuan, Zhu Rongji, Liu Huaqing and Hu Jintao were elected to form the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. Jiang Zemin was elected general secretary of the Central Committee and also chairman of the Central Military Commission. The session also approved Wei Jianxing as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 13th National Congress

Date: October 25-November 1, 1987

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 1,936 full delegates and 61 specially invited delegates

Party membership: 46 million

Major contents: The congress systematically expounded the theory about the primary stage of socialism and the basic line of the Party in this stage. It pointed out that a correct understanding of the present historic stage of Chinese society was of primary importance for building socialism with Chinese characteristics, that it was the essential basis on which to formulate and implement correct lines and policies. The congress set forth a "three-step" economic development strategy: First, to double the 1980 GNP to solve food and clothing shortages; second, to quadruple the 1980 GNP by the end of the century to achieve a relatively good standard of life for the people; and third, to basically complete the nation's modernization, raise the per capita GNP to that of intermediate-level developed countries and improve people's standard of living. The central task outlined at the meeting was to accelerate and deepen reforms. Economic restructuring was urged to focus on changing the operational mechanism of enterprises. Various supportive reforms in terms of planning, investment, materials and goods, finance, banking and foreign trade should be carried out in stages in order to gradually establish a framework for a new system of commodity economy in a planned way.

At the congress, 175 members and 110 alternate members were elected to form the 13th Central Committee. The newly elected Central Advisory Commission comprised 200 members and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection consisted of 69 members. The First Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee elected Zhao Ziyang, Li Peng, Qiao Shi, Hu Qili and Yao Yilin to form the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau. It elected Zhao Ziyang general secretary of the Central Committee, Deng Xiaoping chairman of the Central Military Commission. The session also approved Chen Yun as chairman of the CPC Central Advisory Commission and Qiao Shi as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The 12th National Congress

Date: September 1-11, 1982

Place: Beijing

Number of delegates: 1,600 full delegates and 149 alternate delegates

Party membership: 39.65 million

Major contents: The congress was aimed at, by summing up the historical victory since the 11th Party Congress and eliminating the negative effects of the chaos of the "cultural revolution", defining a correct road, strategy, principles and policies for creating a new situation of socialist modernization construction. Deng Xiaoping made an opening speech. Hu Yaobang made a report on behalf of the 11th Central Committee. Ye Jianying and Chen Yun both delivered important speeches concerning the cooperation between the senior and young officials and the replacement of senior by young officials. Li Xiannian addressed the closing session. In his opening address, Deng Xiaoping put forward the idea of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. The congress outlined the general task of the Party in the new historical period as follows: to unite the people of all ethnic groups in working hard and self-reliantly to achieve, step by step, the modernization of industry, agriculture, national defense and science and technology and to make China a culturally and ideologically advanced and highly democratic socialist country. It also set the economic goal for the period from 1981 to the end of this century, that is, under the prerequisite of constantly improving economic efficiency, to quadruple the annual industrial and agricultural output value of the country, i.e. from 710 billion yuan in 1980 to about 2,800 billion yuan in the year of 2000, so that people can enjoy a better standard of living. The congress also adopted the new Party Constitution.

The congress elected a new Central Committee composed of 210 members and 138 alternate members, a Central Advisory Commission composed of 172 members and a Central Commission for Discipline Inspection composed of 132 members. At the First Plenary Session of the 12th CPC Central Committee, Hu Yaobang, Ye Jianying, Deng Xiaoping, Zhao Ziyang, Li Xiannian and Chen Yun were elected Standing Committee members of the Political Bureau, and Hu Yaobang general secretary of the Central Committee. Deng Xiaoping was appointed chairman of the Central Military Commission as well as chairman of the CPC Central Advisory Commission. Chen Yun was appointed first secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.