The Communist Party of China opens its 20th national congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct 16, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Rounds of warm applause rose at intervals as Xi was delivering the report.

Incumbent and former vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) who are not CPC members, incumbent and former non-CPC vice chairpersons of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), vice chairpersons of the central committees of the other political parties and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, representatives of personages without party affiliation and those of religious circles, as well as non-CPC personages and religious figures who serve as NPC Standing Committee members or Standing Committee members of the CPPCC National Committee attended the session as guests. Some other leading CPC officials also attended the session as non-voting participants.

Around 2,500 journalists from home and abroad reported the grand opening session.