The Seventh Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in Beijing on Tuesday morning.

The session will discuss a draft report to be submitted to the upcoming 17th Party congress by the 16th CPC Central Committee, a draft amendment to the CPC Constitution, and a draft work report of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to be submitted to the congress, according to an earlier meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee decided at a meeting on Aug. 28 to hold the 7th Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee on Oct. 9, and to make a proposal at the plenum that the17th CPC National Congress was to convene in Beijing as of Oct. 15.

The August meeting also examined and discussed the draft work report by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to the Party's 17th national congress and agreed to submit it to the 7th Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee for discussion.

The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee discussed at a meeting on Sept. 17 the draft report to the 17th Party congress and the draft amendment to the CPC Constitution, and decided to table the two improved drafts with the 7th Plenum of the 16th CPC Central Committee for further review.

The draft report to the 17th Party congress and the draft amendment to the CPC Constitution have been solicited opinion within certain group of people. Delegates of various departments and regions to the 16th Party congress and newly-elected delegates to the 17th congress have put forward opinions and suggestions.

The 17th CPC National Congress is "a very important meeting to be held at a time when China has entered a key stage of reform and development", according to the August meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The congress will review the Party's work in the past five years since its 16th National Congress, and is expected to make strategic arrangements for the overall advancement of China's reform and opening up and socialist modernization drive, as well as for the overall advancement of the grand project of Party building, according to the meeting.

A new CPC Central Committee and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will be elected at the congress.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2007)