The 16th CPC National Congress was held in Beijing on November 8-14, 2002. General Secretary Jiang Zemin delivered a report, entitled "Build a Well-Off Society in an All-Round Way and Create a New Situation in Building Socialism With Chinese Characteristics," to the congress on behalf of the 15th CPC Central Committee. The congress elected the 16th CPC Central Committee and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The congress endorsed a resolution on the report of the 15th CPC Central Committee. It held that the report has expounded in a profound manner such major questions as what banner to hold, what road to take and what objectives to attain by the CPC in the new century. The report, mapping out overall arrangements for reform, opening up and the socialist modernization drive, is deemed as a political declaration and a program of action for the CPC to unite with and lead the people of all ethnic groups throughout the country in forging ahead at the new stage and in the new century. The congress agreed to establish the important thought of the "Three Represents" as guiding ideology of the CPC together with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory.

The congress also passed a resolution on the amendment to the Party Constitution. It agreed to make it clear in the Constitution that the CPC is the vanguard both of the Chinese working class and of the Chinese people and the Chinese nation as well as the core of leadership for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and that it represents the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people. The highest ideal and ultimate goal of the CPC is to realize communism.