Delegates stand as the band of the People’s Liberation Army plays“The Internationale”at the close of the 17th National Congress of the CPC in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing yesterday. - Xinhua

China's Vice President Zeng Qinghong and two vice premiers were dropped from the Party's central committee yesterday.

Delegates to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which ended in Beijing yesterday, opted for new blood and gave sweeping endorsement to General Secretary Hu Jintao's vision for the future.

Wu Yi and Zeng Peiyan, both vice premiers and members of the previous political bureau, are no longer members of the central committee.

Zeng Qinghong, 68, was one of nine members of the previous standing committee of the political bureau - the Party's most powerful committee. Two other members of the standing committee, Wu Guanzheng, 69, secretary of the Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, and Luo Gan, 72, secretary of its Central Political and Legal Affairs Committee, were also dropped from the central committee.

Five members of the previous standing committee were re-elected as members of the central committee.

They are Party General Secretary Hu Jintao, National People's Congress Chairman Wu Bangguo, Premier Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Li Changchun, who had no administrative post. The ninth member of the previous standing committee, Huang Ju, died of illness on June 2. Huang was also a vice premier.

Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng and Luo Gan sat in the front row of the podium as executive members of the presidium of the congress.

Delegates expressed appreciation to the three for the "breadth of their political vision and sterling integrity."

Along with deputy premiers Wu Yi and Zeng Peiyan, previous political bureau members Zhang Lichang and Cao Gangchuan were also omitted from the new central committee. 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.

At the closing session presided over by Hu yesterday, 2,235 congress delegates and specially invited guests elected 204 members and 167 alternate members of the 17th CPC Central Committee.

They also elected 127 members of the Party's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

As is customary, the new central committee will hold its first plenary session today.

According to the Party Constitution, the plenum will elect 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 will 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 nation in carrying forward the country's reform and opening-up and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.