Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
A group of hostesses pose in front of buses at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The congress will complete China's leadership transition that began with a Communist Party
congress in November 2012.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
Two Chinese delegates walk towards the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The legislature is made up of nearly 3,000 deputies, most of whom are Communist
Party members.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
A delegate representing one of the country's ethnic minorities walks across Tiananmen towards the Great Hall.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
Members of the People's Liberation Army band take a rest after playing the Chinese national anthem.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
Leaders of China's ruling Communist Party listen to outgoing premier Wen Jiabao’s speech. Wen signalled the party would no longer emphasise growth at all costs, and instead put a priority on social programmes alongside economic development.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
Chinese delegates on the second floor of the Great Hall of the People listen to the opening ceremony of the congress, which saw the unveiling of a budget that seeks to boost defence spending.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
A member of the People's Liberation Army reviews a transcript of outgoing premier Wen Jiabao’s speech, which underlined the party's commitment to fight corruption that its leaders have stressed is vital to their legitimacy and survival.
Rita Alvarez Tudela /Al Jazeera
Policemen patrol Tiananmen Square on Segways. Hundreds of soldiers, police and plainclothes security officers,
equipped with fire extinguishers and anti-explosive blankets, circled the square and the
Great Hall of the People during the opening
session.
Rita Alvarez Tudela/Al Jazeera
Beijing firemen wait attentively in Tiananmen Square.
Security measures increased because of a recent wave of self-immolations to protest Chinese rule in Tibet.
Rita Alvarez Tudela/Al Jazeera
Journalists conduct interviews outside the Great Hall of the
People after the opening ceremony. The congress will last for a total of 13 days.