The congress would amend the Party's constitution, as well as elect a new Party leadership.

"Members and the alternative members of the new CPC Central Committee will be decided through secret ballot in a competitive election," Cai said at the press conference on November 7.

Petra Kolonko, Beijing Bureau Chief of the Frankfurter Allgemeine of Germany, offered an international perspective on the process.

"We want to know who is going to lead China for the next five or 10 years. It's a big event for the whole world, because China is now such an important country. We like to know more about these new leaders and what they are going to do," she said .

Gu said that she hoped the new Party leadership would find new solutions to further improve people's lives. "The Chinese people should not only enjoy an affluent material life but also be satisfied spiritually," she added.

Analysts hold that the convening of the 18th CPC National Congress is happening at a time when China is moving into a pivotal period of development.

Currently, the external environment is not very favorable to China's development. According to the IMF World Economic Outlook released in October, the prospect for the global recovery is once again lowered. The report said that risk of further slowdown of the global economy is worrying. The major reason is the uncertainty of U.S. and European policies, which will also carry risks to other regions, including China.

Despite this, there is a consensus that China is also experiencing an important period of strategic opportunities and is capable of coping with various challenges.

For example, the domestic demand is huge, creating vast potential for economic development. According to the World Bank forecast, by 2020, per-capita income in China will reach the level of moderately developed countries, which will largely elevate people's consumption capacity. Domestic demand will then play a leading role in spurring the economy.

"Challenges have two sides. If we fail to handle them, we will surely be defeated. But if we handle them appropriately, the pressure will turn into a driving force and challenges will become opportunities," said Li Zhongjie, Deputy Director of Party History Research Center of the CPC Central Committee.

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