China begins leadership transition with opening of Party Congress

China on 8 November opened the 18th National Party Congress (NPC) in Beijing's Great Hall of the People with a speech from President Hu Jintao.

In a 100-minute long keynote speech to more than 2,200 delegates representing 82.6 million Communist Party members, Hu acknowledged the severity of the income disparity problem but emphasised that, under his leadership, the country had benefited from overall economic growth and a general improvement in popular living standards. He said that China must pursue a "more balanced, co-ordinated and sustainable" path of development while aiming to double its 2010 GDP and per capita income by 2020. On the issue of corruption, he said: "If we fail to handle the issue well, it could prove fatal to the party, and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state".