His five colleagues are: Li Peng and Zhu Rongji, both 74, Li Ruihuan, 68, Wei Jianxing, 71, and Li Lanqing, 70.

The only member of the 15th CPC Central Committee Political Bureau Standing Committee who has entered the 16th CPC central committee is 59-year-old Hu Jintao.

This took place at the closing session of the 16th CPC National Congress held here Thursday morning, where the new CPC central committee, comprising 356 members, was elected.

With warm applause, more than 2,100 delegates to the congress showed respect and appreciation to 76-year-old Jiang and his colleagues for the "breadth of their political vision and sterling integrity".

The election began shortly after the closing session started. As executive members of the Presidium of the 16th CPC National Congress, Jiang, and his five colleagues who had not been listed as candidates for membership of a new central committee, sat in the front row on the podium.

After ballot distribution and writing, and vote casting and calculation, which took about two hours, the election result was announced. Delegates burst into thunderous applause at the announcement, celebrating the formation of a new CPC Central Committee.

As is customary, a new CPC central committee will hold its first plenary session on the day following the conclusion of a Party national congress. The plenum will elect the CPC central committee general secretary, members of its political bureau and members of its political bureau standing committee, of a new term. 　　

According to the CPC Constitution: the political bureau, the standing committee of the political bureau and general secretary of the CPC central committee shall be elected at a plenum of the central committee; and the general secretary shall be chosen from among the political bureau standing committee members.

In the last 13 years, the third-generation leadership of the CPC with Jiang at the core, leading Chinese people of all ethnic groups, has made universally acknowledged achievements in reform, economic and social development, maintenance of stability, foreign affairs, national defense, and administration over the Party, the state and the armed forces.

The years, which have been recognized as a "period of great prosperity", have seen a remarkable rise in China's overall national strength, a marked improvement of people's standard of living, social stability and unity, a distinctive increase in China's international influence and greater national cohesion.

Observers here say that the smooth generational change of the CPC leadership marks the maturing of the biggest ruling party in the world with a history of 81 years and demonstrates the advancement of political civilization in China. It is bound to have a positive, far-reaching significance for China's long-term prosperity and stability.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2002)