The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has examined and unanimously adopted the amendment to the Constitution of the Communist Party of China proposed by the 15th CPC Central Committee and decided that it shall come into force as from the date of its adoption.

The Congress unanimously agrees to make it clear in the Constitution that the Communist Party of China is the vanguard both of the Chinese working class and of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation as well as the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and that it represents the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. The realization of communism is the highest ideal and ultimate goal of the Party. The Congress holds that such a definition of the Party's nature accords with the history and realities of our Party and conforms to the requirements of the times. It can help bring into play all Party members' enthusiasm, initiative and creativity to the broadest possible extent and enable the Party to unite with and lead the people in a joint effort to build socialism with Chinese characteristics. The Congress calls on all Party comrades to deepen their understanding of the fact that the development and improvement of the socialist system is a long historical process, persist in integrating the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism with the concrete practice of China, and keep with great confidence to the road to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Congress holds that since the Fourth Plenary Session of the 13th CPC Central Committee, the Chinese Communists, with Comrade Jiang Zemin as their chief representative, have acquired through the practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics a deeper understanding of what socialism is, how to build it and what kind of a party to build and how to build it, accumulated new valuable experience in running the Party and state and formed the important thought of Three Represents.

The Congress unanimously agrees to make it clear in the Constitution that the Communist Party of China takes Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents as its guide to action and that the important thought of Three Represents is a guiding ideology that the Party must uphold for a long time to come. Such a provision is of great and far-reaching significance for ensuring unity in thinking and action of the Party and for enabling our Party to unite with and lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in accomplishing the three major historical tasks: to propel the modernization drive, to achieve national reunification, and to safeguard world peace and promote common development, and in bringing about the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on its road to socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Congress agrees that to incorporate into the Constitution the idea of building a well-off society in an all-round way, which is an objective set by the current Congress, is of great significance to the work of the Party. It can help mobilize the whole Party to seize tightly the first two decades of the 21st century, which are a period of important strategic opportunities, focus on reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive and work to bring about an all-round development of the socialist market economy, socialist democracy and advanced socialist culture.

The Congress maintains that the following are significant achievements our Party has scored in its practice of building socialism with Chinese characteristics: to uphold and improve the basic economic system with public ownership playing a dominant role and diverse forms of ownership developing side by side; keep and improve the system of distribution under which distribution according to work is dominant and a variety of modes of distribution coexist; uphold and improve the socialist market economy; implement the strategy of rejuvenation of the nation through science and education and that of sustainable development; promote a coordinated development of the socialist material, political and spiritual civilizations; rule the country according to law and build a socialist country under the rule of law; and combine the rule of law with rule of virtue. To include all this in the Constitution can help all Party comrades to implement the Party's line, principles and policies more consciously and more firmly, and better lead the people in creating a new situation in building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

The Congress holds that it is conducive to reinforcing the Party's class foundation and expanding its mass base, and thus enhancing the Party's rallying power and influence in society at large to make it clear in the Constitution that any Chinese worker, farmer, member of the armed forces, intellectual or any advanced element of other social strata who has reached the age of eighteen and who accepts the Party's program and Constitution and is willing to join and work actively in one of the Party organizations, carry out the Party's decisions and pay membership dues regularly may apply for membership in the CPC.

The Congress believes that it is very important for an all-round advancement of the great new undertaking of Party building to set clearer requirements in the Constitution in respect of Party building and the Party leadership, the duties to be fulfilled by Party members, the basic rules of procedure and decision-making mechanism within Party committees, the building of primary Party organizations, the essential qualifications of Party leading cadres at all levels, the main tasks of Party discipline inspection organs, and the status and tasks of leading Party members' groups in light of the new situation and new tasks of the Party and on the basis of new experience in Party building in recent years.

The Congress urges Party organizations at all levels and all Party members to earnestly study and firmly abide by the Party Constitution, fully strengthen and improve Party building ideologically, organizationally and in its style of work, enhance the Party's art of leadership and governance, strengthen their capacity to resist corruption and degeneration and withstand risks, and further enhance the Party's creativity, cohesion and combat effectiveness so that our Party will always maintain its strong vitality throughout the great course of building socialism with Chinese characteristics.

(Xinhua News Agency November 14, 2002)