The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China opened in Peking with grandeur on April 1.

Our great leader Chairman Mao Tse-tung presided over today's session and made a most important speech.

The Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China is being held at a time when the great proletarian cultural revolution initiated and led personally by Chairman Mao has won great victory. This great revolution has prepared ample political, ideological and organizational conditions for the congress.

Chairman Mao and his close comrade-inarms Comrade Lin Piao mounted the rostrum at 5 p.m. sharp. Prolonged thunderous applause resounded throughout the hall. The delegates cheered most enthusiastically "Long live Chairman Mao!" "We wish Chairman Mao a long, long life!" "Long live the Communist Party of China!" "Long live the victory of the great proletarian cultural revolution!" and "Long live the invincible thought of Mao Tse-tung!"

Mounting the rostrum together with Chairman Mao and Vice-Chairman Lin Piao were Comrades Chou En-lai, Chen Po-ta, Kang Sheng, Tung Pi-wu, Liu Po-cheng, Chu Teh, Chen Yun, Chiang Ching, Chang Chun-chiao and Yao Wen-yuan.

Chairman Mao declared the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China open. Then the congress elected its presidium. The congress unanimously elected Comrade Mao Tse-tung chairman of the presidium, Comrade Lin Piao vice-chairman of the presidium and Comrade Chou En-lai secretary-general of the presidium, and decided upon the members of the secretariat of the presidium.

The congress adopted the agenda of the Ninth National Congress of the Communist Party of China:

1. Political report by Comrade Lin Piao on behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China;

2. Revision of the Constitution of the Communist Party of China; and

3. Election of the Central Committee of the Party.

Then, the congress proceeded with the first item on the agenda.

Comrade Lin Piao made the political report to the congress. In the report, Comrade Lin Piao, in accordance with Chairman Mao's theory on continuing the revolution under the dictatorship of the proletariat, summed up the basic experience of the great proletarian cultural revolution, analysed the domestic and international situation and put forward the fighting tasks of the Party. Comrade Lin Piao's report was warmly welcomed by the delegates and punctuated by prolonged applause and cheers.

A total of 1,512 delegates are attending the congress. Among them are proletarian revolutionaries of the older generation in our Party as well as a large number of advanced elements from among Party members, who have emerged in the course of the great proletarian cultural revolution. As compared with any of the previous congresses of our Party, there have never been such great numbers of delegates of Party members from among industrial workers in factories, mines and other enterprises and from among the poor and lower-middle peasants in people's communes, and delegates of women Party members on all fronts. Among the delegates from the Party members in the People's Liberation Army which has made outstanding contributions in the great proletarian cultural revolution, there are veteran fighters of the Red Army who have stood the test of many battles as well as new fighters who have performed meritorious deeds in the fight to defend the frontiers of the motherland. The delegates of Party members from among Red Guards are attending a Party congress for the first time.

The delegates to the congress were unanimously chosen in accordance with the decision of the Enlarged 12th Plenary Session of the Eighth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China through full democratic consultation by Party organizations at various levels and after extensively seeking the opinion of the broad masses. Tempered in the great proletarian cultural revolution, they are imbued with high spirit and strong fighting will, fully demonstrating the unprecedented unity of the great, glorious and correct Communist Party of China on the basis of the great Marxism, Leninism, Mao Tse-tung's thought and under the guidance of Chairman Mao's proletarian revolutionary line. This signifies that the current congress is a congress of vitality, a congress of unity and a congress of victory. It will have a far-reaching influence on the history of our Party.

Starting from April 2, the congress will hold group discussions on the political report by Comrade Lin Piao and the draft of the revised Constitution of the Communist Party of China.