Source: Xinhuanet

10-16-2007 09:32

Special Report:   17th CPC National Congress

BEIJING, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- The giant streamer in the Great Hall of the People, the venue for China's most important political events, echoes Hu Jintao's keynote speech to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) which started here Monday morning.

The streamer reads: "To hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics, follow the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, thoroughly apply the Scientific Outlook on Development, and strive for new victories in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects."

Delegates who attended the previous Party congress five years ago might remember the streamer at that time: "To hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, fully act on the important thought of Three Represents, carry forward our cause into the future, keep pace with the times, build a well-off society in an all-round way, and work hard to create a new situation in building socialism with Chinese characteristics."

"The streamers always bear themes of Party congresses which are the most important message the CPC wants to transfer to the whole Party and the public," Song Fufan, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, said in a phone interview with Xinhua.

The 16th CPC National Congress set the target of building a moderately prosperous society in the following two decades, Song said. Analyzing new problems and the situation in the past five years, he added, the Party has made new deployment in what China should do at present, which is embodied in the words on the latest streamer.

More than 2,200 delegates, representing over 70 million CPC members nationwide, are reviewing Hu's report on behalf of the 16th CPC Central Committee, which did not dodge outstanding problems challenging the CPC governance, such as widening wealth gap, soaring environmental and ecological costs for rapid growth, regional imbalance of economic and social development, and sustained rural development.