The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) opened on Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and will last seven days till Nov. 14. Party Secretary-General Hu Jintao delivered a keynote report during the opening ceremony .

More than 2,200 delegates, chosen from more than 82 million CPC members across the nation, will attend the five-yearly congress. The 38 delegations to the 18^th CPC National Congress represent the Chinese mainland's 31 provincial regions, departments of the CPC Central Committee, central government bodies, enterprises controlled by the central government, central financial system, the People's Liberation Army, the Armed Police, and CPC members of Taiwan origin.

The agenda for the 18^th CPC congress will include:

-- To hear and examine the report submitted by the 17th CPC Central Committee;

-- To examine the report on the work of Central Commission for Discipline Inspection;

-- To deliberate and adopt the amendment to the Party's Constitution;

-- To elect the Party's 18th Central Committee and Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Upon the conclusion of the congress, the 18th CPC Central Committee and the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will hold their first plenary sessions respectively to elect their new leading bodies. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the new CPC Central Committee will meet Chinese and foreign journalists after the plenary session of the Central Committee.

The congress, regarded as the most important political event in China this year, has attracted more than 1,700 overseas reporters, far exceeding the number at the congress five years ago.