Communist Party General Secretary Jiang Zemin will make a major speech later this month at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the party.
The return of Hong Kong and Macau to China, reunification with Taiwan and the leadership of the Communist Party are expected to be the key issues addressed by Mr Jiang in his speech.
The address will be crucial since it will be the first response by Mr Jiang on the thorny question of Taiwan since President Lee Teng-hui made an offer to visit the mainland in his inauguration speech last month.
Other activities planned to mark the anniversary include the publication of several biographies and essays by a number of retired party elders.
They will join the party secretary at an elaborate celebration at the Great Hall of the People at the end of the month.
The celebration will set the stage for the Sixth Plenum of the party's Central Committee to be convened in the autumn.
Informed sources said the 'spiritual civilisation' campaign would be the main theme of the plenum and its members would discuss how to apply its concepts in areas such as party organisation, legal construction, propaganda and education and fund management.