China's president hailed his party's response to COVID and poverty as the biggest political event in the world's most populous country gets underway. Over the next week, members of the ruling Communist Party will attend the National Congress. And they're expected to set the stage for an unprecedented third term for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

More than 2,000 delegates from across China are gathering in Beijing for the meeting held twice in a decade. They will decide on key policies over the next seven days.

Xi Jinping delivered an opening speech. He touted what he calls the party's achievements over the past five years.

He said, "We have completed a historic mission that eradicated poverty and created a relatively prosperous society. We have reached the goal of our party's first hundred years."

Xi also boasted about China's hardline coronavirus measures. Critics say the "zero-COVID" strategy has slowed the country's economy and caused deep frustration among average people.

Xi said, "We put all of our power into the battle against the pandemic for the Chinese people. We have protected people's health and safety to the greatest extent possible, and we have seen tremendously encouraging achievements with our anti-virus measures and our economic and social development."

The party will amend its constitution at the congress. It is expected to add political slogans to cement Xi's "core position" in the party and demand absolute loyalty to him.

A third term for Xi would break an unwritten rule. Members of the Politburo Standing Committee are expected to step down at the age of 68. Xi turned 69 this year.