The four-day Seventh Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) concluded on October 12 in Beijing. The meeting paved the way for the 17th CPC National Congress held on October 15-21, the most important political event in China this year.

The plenum is presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. A total of 190 members and 152 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee attended the plenum, and members of the CPC's Discipline Watchdog and leading officials of relevant departments were also present as non-voting members.

The plenum discussed the work report made by Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, entrusted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

It also discussed and approved a report to be presented by the 16th CPC Central Committee to the 17th National Party Congress and an amendment to the Constitution of the CPC. Both documents will be submitted to the 17th Party Congress for examination, the plenum decided.

Hu explained the draft report to the plenum, and Wu Bangguo, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, explained the draft amendment to the CPC Constitution.

The plenum also reviewed and approved two investigation reports by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on the case of Chen Liangyu, former Secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, and Du Shicheng, former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee. The two persons have been involved in corruption cases.

It endorsed the decisions made by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee this year to expel Chen and Du from the Party, said the communiqué. The decision to expel Chen from the Party was made on July 26, and Du was stripped of CPC membership on April 23.

In line with the CPC Constitution, the CPC National Congress is held every five years. The CPC had only about 50 members in mid 1921 when the Party was founded. By June 2007, the number of the Party members had grown to 73.363 million.

The functions and powers of the National Party Congress are to examine the reports of the Central Committee and the reports of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, to discuss and decide on major questions concerning the Party, to revise the Constitution of the Party, to elect the Central Committee and to elect the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

(NO. 43 OCTOBER 25, 2007)