On the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau over 3,000 km away from Beijing, local people have been eager to learn the news of the coming CPC National Congress via television and newspaper.

Lobsang, Communist Party secretary of a neighborhood committee in Lhasa City, says the congress will exert far-reaching and favorable influence on the country's future economic and social development.

Located on the north of the Potala Palace, the community where Lobsang lives is a newly constructed area of living quarters at a cost of more than 80 million yuan (US$9.7 million) from the government.

Lobsang, 63, grew out of serfdom and has witnessed the changes taking place in Tibet over the past decades. He says the supportive policies of the central government have helped Tibet achieve overall development.

In the past ten years, the living standards of residents in the community have been improving remarkably. It is a commonplace for the households to have color TV sets, refrigerators, washing machines and telephones. What's more, 24 households have bought their own cars.

Recently, more than 360 Communist Party officials in charge of discipline inspection across the country were in Beijing to participate in a national training course on discipline inspection and supervision.

Qinggele, secretary of Wuda District Commission for Discipline Inspection of Wuhai City in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, says the CPC Central Committee has strengthened Party building and punished a host of corrupt members in recent years. He expects that the new leadership of the Party will improve discipline inspection and help build clean government.

Now, Communist Party committees have been set up in many neighborhoods in Beijing. Liu Lixin, secretary of a community Communist Party committee, says city management is undergoing profound changes. "We hope the 16th National Congress of the Party will boost social and economic development of urban communities," he said.

Ren Yongchang, secretary of Communist Party Committee of Suining City in Sichuan Province, pays more attention to rural affairs and the development of the country's west. He believes the policies worked out by the Party congress will further revitalize the nation and bring more benefits to the people.

Shao Jun, Communist Party secretary of Jiangsu Federation of Industry and Commerce, thinks the congress will give a stronger push on the province's non-state economy. There are more than 1.8 million privately owned enterprises in Jiangsu, which employ some 5 million people.

Ma Chengzu, director of Yunnan Ethnic Legal Service Department, says China's legal system is the best in its history, hoping that the CPC congress will promote the enaction of more practical laws.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2002)