The Communist Party of China closed its 17th national congress today, endorsing the incorporation of the scientific outlook on development into the Party Constitution and installing a 371-member Central Committee and a 127-member Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin and Li Changchun have been elected this morning into the 17th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Party's top decision-making body.

The central committee, elected by 2,235 delegates at the closing session of the congress, includes 204 members and 167 alternate members. The central committee, at its first plenary session tomorrow, will in turn elect the Political Bureau and the bureau's Standing Committee. The CPC Central Committee makes key decisions of the Party in the five-year tenure.

Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng and Luo Gan are not in the new central committee. Zeng is 68 years old, Wu Guanzheng, 69 and Luo, 72. They were members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee. Zeng, Wu Guanzheng and Luo sat in the front row of the podium as executive members of the presidium of the congress.

The delegates to the Party congress showed respect and appreciation to Zeng, Wu Guanzheng and Luo, for their "breadth of their political vision and sterling integrity." Zeng was also a member of the secretariat of the 16th CPC Central Committee and is vice president of China. Wu Guanzheng acted as secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC. Luo served as secretary of the CPC Central Political and Legal Affairs Committee.

Huang Ju, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, died of illness on June 2, 2007.

Members of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee Wu Yi, Zhang Lichang, Cao Gangchuan and Zeng Peiyan are not in the 17th CPC Central Committee.

Wu Yi and Zeng Peiyan are vice premiers. Zhang is deputy director of a leading group for revitalizing northeast China and other old industrial bases. Cao is vice chairman of the Central Military Commission, state councilor and defense minister.

As is customary, the new central committee will hold its first plenary session the following day of the conclusion of the Party congress. According to the CPC Constitution, the plenum elects the central committee's general secretary, members and alternate members of its political bureau, and members of the political bureau standing committee. The general secretary shall be chosen from political bureau standing committee members.

Delegates to the congress said the reshuffle will help inject new vitality into the leadership that will lead the Chinese people in carrying forward the country's reform and opening-up and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

Delegates also elected a 127-member Central Commission for Discipline Inspection at the closing session. There were 121 members in the discipline commission for the 16th CPC Central Committee.

Delegates also adopted a resolution on the amendment to the CPC Constitution to enshrine the 'scientific outlook on development' and other strategic thoughts advanced since 2002. The scientific outlook on development was proposed by the 16th CPC Central Committee in 2003, against the backdrop of rapid economic growth and a series of problems including excessive consumption of resources, damages to the environment and a widening gap between the rich and poor.

In the amendment, the Party has mentioned the word "religion" for the first time in its history. The CPC has been widely known as atheistic since its founding in 1921.