BEIJING - The upcoming 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has drawn wide attention both in China and overseas, as the outcomes of the congress will influence matters around the globe.

The growing influence of the national congress is evidenced by the number of reporters registered for the congress. An official in charge of the media center for the congress said Thursday that the number saw a remarkable increase from the previous congress and it was still growing.

In 2007 a total of 1,135 journalists from 55 countries and 310 media organizations covered the 17th CPC National Congress, compared to 859 journalists who turned out for the 16th CPC National Congress in 2002.

The upcoming congress is expected to make strategic arrangements for the overall advancement of China's reform and opening up, the country's socialist modernization drive and the overall advancement of the new grand project of the Party building.

A new CPC Central Committee and a new Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will be elected at the national congress.

In a time of economic globalization and political multi-polarization, countries around the world have linked up, and changes in one country can quickly influence others, especially for a major power like China.

As China has become the world's second-largest economy, a major engine for global economic development and a powerhouse among newly emerging markets, a congress that can decide the future of the world's most populous country should, of course, matter to the rest of the world.

Over past decades, the country has made significant achievements, but it continues to face a series of challenges that can only be addressed through further reforms. The upcoming congress will be convened under such circumstances.

Despite some twists and turns since the 2008 global financial crisis, the Chinese economy has kept growing amid the country's massive stimulus plan. Recent economic statistics show that China's economy has stabilized, as observers believed it would, while the world continues to grapple with the eurozone financial crisis.

China's economic performance in the future will, to some extent, depend on what guidelines the congress will adopt, and this will have a direct impact on world economy.

Problems have emerged in the country's economic development, including unreasonable energy consumption and environmental pollution, causing some to doubt whether the world can survive a China living an American lifestyle.

In a bid to address this issue, China has implemented the scientific outlook on development and is seeking to build a conservation culture. What China will do in this regard is far more than a domestic issue.

China's political development and foreign policy in the following years are also hot topics for world media.

The CPC has a thorough understanding of the experiences it has gained over past decades and the challenges it is currently facing, but there is ample evidence showing that China will make new achievements under the leadership of the CPC after its national congress.