Harmony has been underscored as one of the Party's goals, under the amendment to the Constitution passed by the Party congress yesterday.

It says the Party, at the primary stage of socialism, will turn China into a prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious modern socialist country. This is the fifth amendment to the current edition of the Constitution, adopted at the 12th congress in 1982.

Upon its founding in 1921, the Communist Party of China drafted a document to define its name, nature, guiding principles and ultimate goals, which was to become a prototype of the Constitution.

Liu Yunxian, a researcher with the Executive Leadership Academy in Shanghai's Pudong New Area, said the new elaboration on harmony aims to address deep-seated issues.

The Constitution states, for the first time, that the Party "unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public sector."

Ni Xingxiang, curator of the Shanghai memorial house where the CPC was born, said it has amended its charter 15 times, but the Party's nature, tenets and goals remain.