It was decided at the plenum that the 16th CPC National Congress be convened from November 8 in Beijing, according to the communique.

A total of 186 members and 139 alternate members of the CPC Central Committee attended the three-day plenum, with members of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and leading officials of relevant departments attending as non-voting members.

The plenum was presided over by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee. Jiang Zemin, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, delivered an important speech.

The plenum also discussed and approved a report which will be presented by the 15th CPC Central Committee to the 16th Party Congress, as well as an amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China.

Both documents will be submitted to the 16th Party Congress for discussions, the plenum decided.

The plenum examined and approved a report by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection on the case of Wang Xuebing, and decided to strip Wang of his alternate membership in the Party Central Committee and expel him from the Party, says the communique.

Reviewing Party work in the past 13 years since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the plenum held that a historic breakthrough for China's reform and opening up has been achieved under the Party's third-generation collective leadership with Jiang Zemin at the core.

In the past 13 years, the third-generation collective leadership has held high the banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, united the entire Party and people of all ethnic groups across the country, adhered to the Party line adopted by the Third Plenum of the 11th CPC Central Committee and dealt with various difficulties and risks in a calm and competent manner, says the communique.

As a result, China's comprehensive national strength has grown remarkably, major proress has been achieved in the great cause of peaceful reunification of the motherland, people's life has taken a historic leap from being adequately fed and dressed to being generally well-off, and a brand new situation has emerged for the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics, the communique says.

"The tremendous achievements in the past 13 years will undoubtedly be recorded in the glorious history of the great reinvigoration of the Chinese nation, and the precious experience accumulated in the past 13 years will be of great long-term significance in guiding the cause of building socialism with Chinese characteristics," it says.

Guided by Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents", the plenum carried out in-depth discussions on major issues concerning China's reform, opening up and socialist modernization drive in the new century and a new development stage, and made full preparations for the convening of the 16th Party Congress, the communique says.

(Xinhua News Agency November 5, 2002)