Chinese President Mr Jiang Zemin today opened the most important meeting of the ruling Communist Party in a decade by urging speedy economic change while stressing strict political control.
Addressing 2,114 delegates in Beijing's cavernous Great Hall of the People for the week-long 16th Congress, Mr Jiang (76) alluded to the ruling party's Marxist roots.
But in what is likely to be his last major address before retiring as party chief, Mr Jiang urged the pursuit of market reforms, calling for a quadrupling of China's economy by 2020.
He also talked up his own personal plan to allow capitalists to join the Communist Party. "Reform and opening up are ways to make China powerful," said Mr Jiang.
He said the party must be central to tackling the many challenges awaiting China's 1.3 billion people in the coming years.
Mr Jiang is among a string of elderly leaders expected to step down from their party posts at the Congress, the start of China's first major leadership reshuffle since 1989.
Vice President Mr Hu Jintao (59) is tipped to take over as party head and then become president next spring.
AFP