The 16th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing Friday morning, with Jiang Zemin delivering a keynote report on behalf of the 15th CPC Central Committee at the opening session.

The 16th Party Congr ess, the first for the CPC in the new century, has drawn worldwide attention for its significant bearing on China's future development.

The opening session was presided over by Li Peng. Members of the Standing Committee of the Congress Presidium, including Jiang Zemin, Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Li Ruihuan, Hu Jintao, Wei Jianxing and Li Lanqing, were seated in the front row of the rostrum.

When the session started at 9 a.m., all participants rose to their feet for a choral singing of China's national anthem and then paid a silent tribute to late Chinese leaders and revolutionary veterans including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Deng Xiaoping and Chen Yun.

Li Peng announced that 2,134 of the total 2,154 delegates to the 16th Party Congress were present at the opening session. He also extended a warm welcome to friends of the CPC and leaders of relevant non-Communist bodies attending the session as observers.

Amidst constant loud applause from the delegates, Jiang Zemin delivered a report titled "Build a well-off society in an all- round way and create a new situation in building socialism with Chinese characteristics".

The report consists of 10 parts, namely "Work of the past five years and basic experience of 13 years", "Implement the important thought of Three Represents in an all-round way", "Objectives of building a well-off society in an all-round way", "Economic development and restructuring", "Political development and restructuring", "Cultural development and restructuring", " National defense and army building", "'One country, two systems' and complete national reunification", "The international situation and our external work" and "Strengthen and improve Party building".

(xinhua)