China's Communist Party maps out reforms

Rasika Somarathna in Beijing

The Communist Party of China (CPC) will formulate goals, targets and guidelines for future reforms and opening up at its upcoming 18th national congress while taking steps to eliminate hurdles in the way of scientific development, CPC spokesman Cai Mingzhao told the media yesterday.

The CPC will advance reform and opening up and stay away from policies which will lead to rigidity and stagnation, he said ahead of the opening session of the congress today.

He also said that Xi Jinping was appointed new Secretary-General of the congress at the preparatory meeting held yesterday.

The Communist Party of China will open its 18th National Congress today. A new lineup of top leaders will be elected, and a series of vital development goals for the country will be mapped out during the congress.

The congress, held once in every five years, will elect about 370 full and alternate members of the Party's Central Committee. At the new Central Committee's first session, members of the decision-making politburo will be selected.

The new Politburo Standing Committee, the Party's top echelon of power, will then be unveiled after the Central Committee plenum ends. Hu Jintao, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, will deliver the keynote address at the opening session of the congress, appraising Party's work over the past five years and mapping out plans to deal with challenges ahead for the next five years.

The delegates will convene at Beijing's Great Hall of the People for full sessions. The CPC was founded at the first congress in Shanghai in 1921. Less than 20 delegates attended it. About 2,270 delegates will attend this year's congress representing 82 million party members.

Many of the delegates are grassroots role models from all walks of life, including farmers, workers, teachers, doctors and scientists.