BEIJING -- Spokesman Li Dongsheng of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Sunday that 1,554 private entrepreneurs joined the CPC last year, taking up 14.4 percent of the 10,773 members from new social strata.

Li told a press briefing that most private entrepreneur applicants bore good intentions and could uphold the guidelines and constitution of the Party and play a vanguard role.

The structure of the Party membership has taken on new changes as many social strata ranging from technicians and entrepreneurs of private firms, managers and engineers of foreign-invested companies, the self-employed, professionals and those working with intermediary institutions have joined in, he said.

"These people, together with workers, farmers, intellectuals, cadres and the enlisted, are also constructors of socialism with Chinese characteristics," Li said.

Facts proved that absorbing private entrepreneurs into the Party could help expand the mass foundation of the Party, facilitate the healthy development of non-public economy and Party building and elevating the vigor and vital force of the Party.

Established in 1921, the CPC has a membership of more than 73 million, about five percent of the population. More than 2,000 delegates have come to Beijing for the congress due to open on Monday morning.