Report to congress inspires college students

Special: 20th CPC National Congress

Many Chinese university students have said they are inspired by the pivotal report that Xi Jinping delivered to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and are determined to incorporate their own dreams into the realization of the nation's rejuvenation.

In dormitories, classrooms and canteens, they watched the opening session using cellphones, laptops, TVs and multimedia projectors. And many have since expressed even greater eagerness to learn about the Party and the country's plans for the next five years and beyond.

Fan Shihao got up early on Sunday. He watched interviews with congress delegates while eating breakfast in his school's canteen and then viewed the opening session in a meeting room on campus with dozens of his schoolmates.

The 20-year-old undergraduate student at Beijing Jiaotong University's Jeme Tienyow Honors College said the part of the report that impressed him the most is the Party's high hopes for China's youth.

Young people should steadfastly follow the Party and its guidance, aim high but stay grounded, and dare to think big and take action but make sure they can deliver, the report said. Their youth and vitality will bloom in full splendor as they endeavor to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects, it said.

Fan said he is fortunate to witness the country's strength and rapid development in recent years, and he has never looked up to other countries.

"Even though some countries may have more advanced technological development, I think our country is more secure and has a better political system," he said.

As the future of China, young people are capable of living up to the expectations of the Party and the nation, he said.

The report also underscored the strategic role of education, science and technology, and human resources as well as the importance of producing first-class innovators.

Fan said he is all the more determined to pursue a doctorate in intelligent communication and become a leading researcher in the field to help fix bottlenecks in the sector.

Renmin University of China undergraduate Zhang Xinle, who is on an exchange program at Kedge Business School in Marseille, France, watched the replay of the opening session as soon as she got up at 7 am local time. Many other Chinese students in France also watched it on their phones.

"Although we are studying abroad, we feel that it is imperative for us to watch this critically important congress to learn about the future development direction of the Party and the country," she said.

The report stressed the need to better tell China's stories, make China's voice heard and present a China that is credible, appealing and respectable.

"As Chinese students living in France, we represent the country, and we have an important mission to tell its story and present its image to the world," she said.

Fan Jingyuan, a postgraduate student at Peking University's School of International Studies, said that as someone who aspires to become a diplomat, she will work harder to learn about the Party and country's theories of diplomacy.

"While holding a global perspective, I will stay steadfast to China's positions, and present the country's story and young Chinese people's vitality and views to the world," she said.