Amended Party Const. says to foster private sector

BEIJING -- The Communist Party of China said on Sunday it will foster the development of the non-public sector with an amendment to the Party Constitution, according to a resolution adopted at the closing session of the 17th CPC National Congress.

And for the first time in its history, the CPC has mentioned the word " religion" in an amendment to its Constitution.

This is the first time for the CPC to insert the clauses in its Constitution.

Delegates to the session unanimously agreed the Party will unswervingly encourage, support and guide the development of the non-public sector, play the fundamental role of the market in the allocation of resources, and establish a macro control system.

Since the 16th national congress was held in 2002, the CPC has clarified it would firmly encourage, support and cultivate non-public economic sectors. Under such circumstances, some areas which were previously off-limits to the private sector are now accessible. State-owned enterprises no longer enjoy exclusively preferential policies.

At the end of 2006, China had 4.94 million private businesses, involving a total investment of more than 7.5 trillion yuan.

Among the 73 million CPC members nationwide, nearly three million come from the private sector, which is better represented at the 17th Party congress. ?

In 2006 alone, more than 1,500 private entrepreneurs joined the CPC, taking up 14.4 percent of the 10,773 members from new social strata, according to official statistics.

To insert CPC's guiding principles and policies in religious work in the Party Constitution is conducive to their full implementation, according to a resolution on the amendment to the Constitution.

It said the insertion has been made to meet the demands posed by the new situation and new tasks.

The CPC has been widely known as atheistic since its founding in 1921.