Oct. 21, 2017 -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, presides over the second meeting of the presidium of the 19th CPC National Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. JU PENG / XINHUA

It offers confidence in 'road forward' with uplifting messages, delegates say

Oct. 21, 2017 -- A new political theory unveiled at a key congress of China's ruling Communist Party of China has struck a chord with Ling Jihe, a 56-year-old rural entrepreneur in Jiangxi province.

"'Ensuring harmony between human and nature', a basic principle underpinned by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, resonates with my choice of career over the past eight years," he said.

After being a businessman elsewhere for more than 20 years, Ling went back to his home village of Xilu to farm in 2009, eyeing the great potential of green agriculture.

Now he manages more than 3,000 hectares of farmland, helping to raise the income of more than 3,300 of his fellow villagers.

"The new thought has firmed my confidence in my road forward," said Ling, who is also a delegate to the 19th CPC National Congress, which opened on Wednesday.

Congress delegates and experts widely believe that Xi Jinping Thought is the biggest highlight of the Party congress, a twice-a-decade gathering and the most important event on China's political calendar.

The elevation of the Thought into a guide to action for the CPC and the country signals a new chapter of Marxism in the 21st century.

"The Thought embodies the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context," said Liu Jingbei, a professor with the China Executive Leadership Academy in Shanghai's Pudong district.

The Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era builds on and further enriches Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development, said a report delivered at the opening of the congress on Wednesday.

The report listed the 14-point fundamental principles of the Thought, ranging from ensuring Party leadership over all work to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.