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.