The just-concluded 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a historical event that shows the direction of China's future development.

General Secretary Hu Jintao said in his report to the National Congress that the meeting was of great significance "at a period of vital importance during China's reform and opening to the outside world." The congress approved of the work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI). Delegates to the congress deliberated on and adopted the CPC's amended Constitution and elected a new 371-member CPC Central Committee and a new 127-member CCDI.

The seven-day event, hailed as a congress of "unity, victory and progress," was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 15-21. A total of 2,216 delegates participated in the congress.

In his report on behalf of the 16th CPC Central Committee, Hu called on the 73 million members of the CPC and the 1.3-billion Chinese people to hold high the "great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics" in their struggle to build "a moderately prosperous society in all aspects."

In the following days, all delegates deliberated Hu's report and agreed that it outlined China's "ambitious goals" for economic and social development in the coming years.

Many keywords and new phrases in Hu's report aroused great attention. Terms such as "ecological civilization," "property income" and "quadrupling the per-capita gross domestic product of 2000 by the year 2020" triggered heated explanations and debates among delegates, experts and local and foreign media.

The 17th Party Congress also made the fifth amendment to the Party Constitution, which was formulated by the 12th Party Congress in 1982. The Scientific Outlook on Development and other strategic thoughts were endorsed in the Party Constitution. (see p.16-17)

The CPC has routinely amended its Constitution at past national congresses to "keep up with the times."

Anti-corruption and the prevention of corruption have been important tasks for the Party. They were also on the agenda of the 17th Party Congress.

The resolution of the CCDI's work report says Party committees at all levels must attach greater importance to combating corruption, take a clear stand against corruption and pursue the principle of fighting corruption in a comprehensive way.

The Party should address both the symptoms and the source of corruption and curb graft by both punitive and preventative measures, but the emphasis should be on the prevention of corruption, the resolution says.

The Seventh Plenum of the 16th Central Committee of the CPC, which was held days before the 17th Party Congress, approved two reports on two prominent corrupt Party officials--Chen Liangyu, former Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Du Shicheng, former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee. The act is widely believed to showcase the Party's anti-corruption determination.

At the closing session of the congress on October 21, delegates selected 204 members and 167 alternate members of the 17th CPC Central Committee, as well as 127 CCDI members.

On the second day, these members and alternate members attended the First Plenum of the 17th CPC Central Committee, with CCDI members as nonvoting delegates. The plenum elected the new line-up of the Political Bureau's Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee, as well as other central leading organs.

Hu Jintao was elected for another five years as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission.

He urged the Chinese communists and the people to continue to advance China's reform and opening up, pursue its socialist modernization, and "create a much happier life," in accordance with the guiding principles of the 17th Party Congress.

2007 Landmarks of CPC October 9-12: The 16th CPC Central Committee convened its Seventh Plenum in Beijing. The meeting discussed and approved a report to be presented by the 16th CPC Central Committee to the Party's 17th National Congress and an amendment to the CPC's Constitution. October 15-21: The 17th CPC National Congress was held in Beijing. At its opening, General Secretary Hu Jintao, on behalf of the 16th CPC Central Committee, delivered a report. Delegates deliberated on the report as well as the draft amendment to the Party's Constitution and the work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, on the following days. At its closing, the meeting elected a new CPC central committee and a new CCDI. It also adopted resolutions, endorsing the reports of the 16th CPC Central Committee and the CCDI and the amendment to the Party's Constitution. October 22: At its First Plenum, the 17th CPC Central Committee reelected Hu as its general secretary. It also installed a 25-member political bureau and its Standing Committee and approved the composition of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, the Party's Central Military Commission and the Standing Committee of the CCDI.