The Seventeenth National Congress of the CPC

It was convened in Beijing from October 15 to 21, 2007. There were 2213 official delegates and 57 invited delegates, representing more than 73.3 million Party members nationwide. Hu Jintao, on behalf of the 16th Central Committee, made a report to the National Congress on “Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive for New Victories in Building a Moderately Prosperous Society in All Respects”. The theme of the National Congress was to hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, to Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of “Three Represents” as the guide, in-depth implementation of the “Scientific Outlook on Development”, to continue to emancipate the mind, to adhere to Reform and Opening-up, to promote scientific development, to strengthen social harmony, to seize a new victory in building a well-off society.

The National Congress reviewed the new progress of various undertakings since the 16th Party Congress, and scientifically summed up the experience of “ten combinations” in consolidating and developing socialism and realizing modernization since the Reform and Opening-up. The "ten combinations", namely: combining the adherence to the basic principles of Marxism with the Sinicization of Marxism; combining adhering to the basic tenets of Marxism with adapting it to Chinese conditions; combining respecting the people's pioneering initiative with strengthening the Party's leadership; combining adhering to the basic system of socialism with developing the market economy; combining effecting changes in the economic base with promoting reform of the superstructure; combining developing the productive forces with improving the cultural and ethical quality of the whole nation; combining raising efficiency with promoting social equity; combining pursuing independent development with taking part in economic globalization; combining promoting reform and development with maintaining social stability; and combining advancing the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics with making progress in the great new undertaking to build the Party.

The National Congress stressed that the fundamental reason for all our achievements and progress since the Reform and Opening-up is that we have opened up the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and established the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, which includes Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents” and other major strategic ideas such as the “Scientific Outlook on Development”. This theoretical system is a scientific theoretical system including Deng Xiaoping Theory, the important thought of “Three Represents” and the major strategic ideas such as the “Scientific Outlook on Development”. The conference comprehensively explained the background, scientific connotation and spiritual essence of the “Scientific Outlook on Development”, pointing out that the “Scientific Outlook on Development”, which is people-oriented, comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable development, is the inheritance and development of the important thoughts on development of the three generations of the Party's central collective leadership, and is the centralized embodiment of Marxism's world view and methodology on development, and the important thought of “Three Represents” which is an important guideline for China's economic and social development, and a major strategic idea that must be adhered to and implemented in the development of socialism with Chinese characteristics." The National Congress unanimously agreed to write the “Scientific Outlook on Development” into the Party Constitution.

The National Congress reviewed the great historical process of Reform and Opening-up, and proposed that Reform and Opening-up is the key choice to determine the fate of contemporary China, and is the only way to develop socialism with Chinese characteristics and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The National Congress put forward the new requirements of the goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all aspects, and made comprehensive plans for economic, political, cultural and social construction around this goal. The National Congress stressed the need to comprehensively promote the new great project of Party building in the spirit of reform and innovation. The National Congress elected the 17th Central Committee, consisting of 204 members and 167 alternate members, and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, consisting of 127 members. The subsequent First Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee elected Hu Jintao as the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang to the Standing Committee of the Central Political Bureau of the CC.