Students from more than 40 Chinese universities participated in an online forum Sunday to commemorate the birth centenary of late leader Deng Xiaoping.

The forum, with the theme "Deng Xiaoping in our hearts," was launched by the Ministry of Education-sponsored website, www.univchina.org, and drew thousands of students from universities nationwide, including the prestigious Beijing, Qinghua and Fudan universities.

The students all expressed their love and respect for the late Chinese leader, their confidence in the future development of China and their trust in the ruling Chinese Communist Party.

"On this special day, I'd like to express my deepest respect for Deng Xiaoping. China could not have recorded such rapid economic development without his guidance," read a message by Li Lei, a junior student at Shanghai Jiaotong University.

"You have left us, but the spiritual legacy you left behind continues to benefit millions of Chinese. You deserve to have the title of the chief architect of China's reform and opening-up drive," said Xu Yiqiang, a student from Shandong University.

The students, mostly born after China implemented the reform and opening-up policy in 1978 and having enjoyed ample opportunities in the open society, all said they owed their happy life to Deng Xiaoping and the Chinese Communist Party.

The students posted more than 10,000 messages at the online forum, which was open for a little more than two hours.

Most of them watched live broadcast of Sunday's grand gathering at the Great Hall of People in Beijing marking Deng's birth centenary, and the keynote speech by Hu Jintao, Chinese president and general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

In a concrete move to step up with ideological and ethical education of the young people, colleges and universities nationwide have all included the Deng Xiaoping Theory and the "Three Represents" thoughts into their curriculum.

Universities have promoted the national spirit centered on patriotism through lectures, seminars, movies and documentaries.
 
(Xinhua News Agency August 23, 2004)