Key Event on the Horizon

In spite of the Communist Party of China spokespeople's latest refusal to give an exact date for the upcoming 18th CPC National Congress, the publication of the names of the 2,270 delegates who will attend the all-important event means that day cannot be far away.

It will not be immediate, given the procedural requirement that the roster of names undergo a final round of review and approval by a special panel.

However, for an event burdened with so much attention and expectation, both at home and abroad, the day on which it opens is far less important than what it produces.

The CPC's 18th National Congress has attracted worldwide interest because it is anticipated that it will come up with a new CPC leadership lineup. And the composition of the CPC's leadership is not only important for the Party, it will also determine the direction of the country's development, and considerably affect the world at large, through the next decade.

Spokespeople of the CPC's Central Organization Department, which is responsible for the appointment of high Party cadres, talked a lot about transparency and intra-Party democracy in the delegate election process at a news conference on Tuesday.

The Party is taking great pains to meet public expectations and emphasis has been placed on procedure and rules and the representativeness of the delegates.

The proportion of grassroots CPC members, as well as female delegates and delegates from non-Han ethnic groups, have all increased slightly and the age of delegates ranges from 22 to 97. The youngest is Jiao Liuyang, a woman with the People's Liberation Army who won gold and set a new Olympic record in the women's 200 meter butterfly at the London Olympic Games. The presence of youngsters such as Jiao demonstrates the CPC's continuous appeal to new generations.

But what really matters in the end is the delegates' ability to make informed decisions at the historic congress. That has less to do with their academic or professional backgrounds, and more to do with their commitment to the country's and people's well-being.

Considering the CPC's overriding role in national politics, those participating in its national congress bear a great responsibility on their shoulders.