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| China begins key party congress | China begins key party congress |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| The five-yearly congress of the Chinese Communist Party has opened in Beijing with a tough message from President Hu Jintao to more than 2,200 delegates. | |
| Mr Hu said despite economic growth there were many social and environmental concerns facing China. | |
| President Hu is expected to consolidate his grip on power at the congress in the Great Hall of the People. | President Hu is expected to consolidate his grip on power at the congress in the Great Hall of the People. |
| However, it will also decide on a new generation of leaders to take over when the current group retires in 2012. | However, it will also decide on a new generation of leaders to take over when the current group retires in 2012. |
| Spreading benefits | Spreading benefits |
| The BBC's Daniel Griffiths in Beijing says President Hu's message was that government efforts had so far fallen short of what was required and the authorities must do more on areas such as the environment and official corruption. | |
| Mr Hu is widely expected to get a second and final term of office | |
| A number of senior politicians have been caught in bribery scandals in recent years. | |
| The speech was a frank admission that the government had failed to tackle some of the major problems facing the country, our correspondent says. | |
| Mr Hu also delivered a strong message on Taiwan, saying China would "never allow anyone to separate Taiwan from the motherland in any name or by any means". | |
| However, he said Beijing would "make every effort with utmost sincerity to achieve peaceful reunification of the two sides". | |
| The president warned there would be a period of "high danger" over Taiwan in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. | The president warned there would be a period of "high danger" over Taiwan in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. |
| The congress, declared open by the second ranking member in the party's elite Politburo Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo, will approve the political agenda for the next five years. | The congress, declared open by the second ranking member in the party's elite Politburo Standing Committee, Wu Bangguo, will approve the political agenda for the next five years. |
| We will never copy the Western model Li Dongsheng,congress spokesman class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7041660.stm">China's elusive leader | |
| Our correspondent says President Hu is expected to further entrench policies aimed at spreading the benefits of economic growth more equally across society. | |
| On the eve of the meeting, the spokesman for the 17th congress, Li Dongsheng, said China would never have Western-style democracy. | On the eve of the meeting, the spokesman for the 17th congress, Li Dongsheng, said China would never have Western-style democracy. |
| Mr Li said: "Political reform is an important component of our comprehensive reform. We have advanced political reform without pause." | Mr Li said: "Political reform is an important component of our comprehensive reform. We have advanced political reform without pause." |
| But he said: "We will never copy the Western model." | But he said: "We will never copy the Western model." |
| BBC China correspondent James Reynolds says Mr Hu is widely expected to get a second and final term of office but is also likely to promote a probable successor to take over from him in 2012. | |
| There has been widespread speculation about who will be elected to the politburo's elite standing committee. | |
| Li Keqiang, the current chief of Liaoning province, and Shanghai boss Xi Jinping have both been tipped to join the committee. |