The 15th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held in Beijing between September 12 and 18, 1997.

This change in membership made the new average age of the CCP 55 and percentage of members holding university or college level education 92.4%.

Jiang Zemin was reappointed CCP General Secretary and Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

The constitution was changed to make Deng Xiaoping Theory a guiding ideology of the Chinese Communist Party alongside Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

It was revealed in a presentation by Jiang Zemin that an "All-Round Advancement would be adopted toward the Cause of Building Socialism with Chinese Characteristics well into the 21st Century.