The Sixteenth National Congress of the CPC

It convened in Beijing from November 8 to 14, 2002. This is the first National Congress of the Party in the new century. The theme of the Congress was: holding high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, fully implementing the important thought of “Three Represents”, building a moderately prosperous society, accelerating socialist modernization, and struggling to create a new situation for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. 2,114 official delegates and 40 invited delegates attended the Congress, representing more than 66 million Party members nationwide. On behalf of the 15th Central Committee, Jiang Zemin made a report to the Congress titled as “Building A Moderately Prosperous Society in Creating a New Situation of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics”.

The National Congress emphasized that the Important Thought of “Three Represents” is the foundation of the Party, the basis of its ruling power and the source of its strength. the Important Thought of “Three Represents” is put forward on the basis of scientific judgment of the historical position of the Party, it is the inheritance and development of Marxism Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping theory, reflects the new requirements of the development of the contemporary world and China in respect to the Party work and in leading the state, it is a powerful theoretical weapon to strengthen and improve Party building as well as for promoting the self-improvement and development of the socialist system, and is the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the whole Party, and is a guiding ideology that must be adhered to for a long time. The Party Constitution adopted at the 16th Party Congress (Amendment) included the important thought of “Three Represents” together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, as the guiding ideology that the Party must adhere to.

The National Congress stated that the path the CPC will take is the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the goal to be achieved in the first 50 years of the new century is to build a moderately prosperous society and achieve socialist modernization in all respects. The National Congress clearly answered the major questions of what banner the CPC should hold, what path it should take and what development goals it should achieve in the new century. The subsequent First Plenary Session of the 16th CPC Central Committee elected Hu Jintao as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan to the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CC.