DATE=10/09/00
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA / COMMUNIST PARTY PLENUM (L-only)
NUMBER=2-267647
BYLINE=KIRK TROY
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT=
INTRO: China's top leaders are gathered in Beijing to iron out the economic and political map for the next five years. Kirk Troy has more on the Communist Party Plenum.
TEXT: China's political elite Monday opened a plenary session of the Communist Party Central Committee. Top on the agenda is formulating a new five-year economic plan in the face of globalization, challenges of the Internet era and China's anticipated membership in the World Trade Organization.
The plenum regularly brings together 350 members and alternates of the central committee of the ruling Communist Party for policy talks. The meeting is closed to the press and is usually reported on by state media after the conclusion of the session.
The next five-year economic plan will be the 10th of its kind formulated by the body and will address China's fiscal affairs for 2001 through 2005.
But several political items are also likely to be on the agenda including succession within the party. China's three top leaders, President Jiang Zemin, Premier Zhu Rongji and parliament head Li Peng, are all set to retire by 2002. But any decision on succession is not expected to be included in the plenum communiqué usually issued after the meeting.
Threats to Communist Party rule may find their way into the discussions. One of the most pressing issues is official corruption. Scores of members of the party hierarchy are being prosecuted as part of an ongoing anti-graft campaign, which the committee had hoped would strengthen its credibility with the Chinese people.
Another issue is the government's effort to crush the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement, considered an evil cult by Beijing.
The plenary session is set to end Wednesday when it will issue its communiqué and possibly outline some of its conclusions. (Signed)
NEB/HK/KT/JO/PFH
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