Delegates to the ongoing 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) have defended socialism with Chinese characteristics during their discussion of Hu Jintao's report delivered to the Party congress on Monday.

They say Hu's report underscores a theoretical and ideological system that unites Chinese people of all ethnic groups.

At the very start of Hu's speech, he said the theme of the congress is to "hold high the great banner of socialism with Chinese characteristics."

"On this banner lies our destiny, our strength and our pride," said Chen Run'er, a delegate from central Hunan Province. "We have made great achievements under the leadership of the Party in the past 29 years of reform and opening-up," he said.

"Facts have proven that socialism with Chinese characteristics leads to prosperity and national rejuvenation, and the path will prove even broader," said delegate Tong Zhiwu, Party chief of Jinzhou City of northeastern Liaoning Province.

Reform and opening-up provide the strong driving force for the building of socialism with Chinese characteristics, said delegate Liu Mingkang, head of China Banking Regulatory Commission. "The banking sector has intensified reforms and expanded opening-up in the past five years. Such achievements were unimaginable in the past."

The building of a moderately prosperous society on the basis of Chinese socialism also dominates the delegates' discussions.

Niu Yunlan, a farmer from central Henan Province, heads a local stockbreeding cooperative. "Hu said in his report we will develop specialized farmers' cooperatives. This is encouraging for the farmers," she said.

"A moderately prosperous society is not just wealthy, but promises sustainable development," said Peng Shou, manager of a state firm producing building materials in eastern Anhui Province. His company is working on a key project that promises to reduce power consumption by 30 percent in cement production.

Thirty-eight delegations, grouping more than 2,200 delegates from nationwide, are attending the congress, which is regarded as the most important political event in China in every five years.

(Xinhua News Agency October 16, 2007)