THE 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened on October 16th in Beijing and will conclude on October 22nd, 2022.
What is the CPC National Congress? Why is the ongoing meeting important? How are the delegates elected? I would like to briefly explain to my Mindanao friends in this article.
What is the CPC National Congress?
The National Congress and its standing committee are the supreme leadership bodies in the Communist Party of China. The Congress is held every five years, and the primary agenda is to review the work of the past five years and to approve the plan for development for the next five years and beyond, and to elect the CPC Central Committee.
Why is the ongoing meeting important?
The ongoing CPC National Congress will review the work report delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping on behalf of the 19th CPC Central Committee, deliberate and adopt an amendment to the CPC Constitution and elect the 20th CPC Central Committee. Following the 20th CPC National Congress, a new central leadership will be elected at the first plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and members of the new Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee will meet the press.
In the report he delivered to the Congress on October 16th, Mr. Xi Jinping pointed out that in the past five years since the 19th CPC National Congress, the Party Central Committee has pursued a strategy of national rejuvenation amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century and has brought the entire Party and the Chinese people together to steadily advance socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Referring to the missions and tasks of the CPC on the new journey of the new era, Xi pointed out that from this day forward, the central task of the CPC will be to lead the Chinese people of all ethnic groups in a concerted effort to realize the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization. (According to the two-step strategic plan of the second centenary goal, China’s socialist modernization will be basically realized from 2020 to 2035. From 2035 to the mid-21st century, China will become a great modern socialist country, prosperous and strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful.) Xi noted that we must strive to realize, safeguard, and advance the fundamental interests of all our people. We will continue to improve the system of income distribution, implement the employment-first strategy, improve the social security system, and advance the Healthy China Initiative. According to Xi, today, our world, our times, and history are changing in ways like never before. China remains firm in pursuing an independent foreign policy of peace, he said, adding that the country adheres to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in pursuing friendship and cooperation with other countries, and remains committed to its fundamental national policy of opening to the outside world. The Chinese people are ready to work hand in hand with people across the world to create an even brighter future for humanity, said Xi.
How are the delegates elected?
A total of 2,296 delegates have been elected to the 20th National Congress of the CPC. The number changes in different assemblies but the election criteria have been always strict. The election began in November 2021 and the delegates are elected by 38 electoral units across the country to represent the Party’s over 96 million members. To be a delegate, one needs to first be nominated, second pass electoral unit’s evaluation, third become a preliminary and then preparatory candidate before finally be elected as a delegate. Delegates come from all sectors of society and every one of them is an excellent member of the CPC, because each one of them is chosen from 42,000 Party members on average. Some of the prominent figures among this year’s delegates are leading epidemiologist Dr. Zhong Nanshan, short-track skater and Olympic gold medalist Mr. Wu Dajing, astronaut Ms. Wang Yaping, Ms. Zhang Guimei, a teacher devoted to improving education of young women in mountainous regions, and Prof. Lin Zhanxi, an agriculture expert, also a good friend of mine, who has contributed to an agricultural cooperation project in Mindanao. While many delegates are renowned, still more are those working on the front-line. There are 619 female delegates this year, or 27 percent of the total.
I would like to invite all friends to follow the progress of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. One of the options is to check out the Facebook account: Chinese Consulate General in Davao.
Consul General Li Lin, Chinese Consulate General in Davao