They said that the important thought of Three Representatives is a banner that leads the country in the drive of building a well-off society in an all-round way and in realizing a great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The more than 2,100 CPC delegates from across China have had in-depth discussion on Jiang Zemin's report at the opening of the congress and a draft amendment to the Party constitution since the congress opened last Friday.

"Three Representatives", namely that the Party must always represent the development trend of China's advanced productive forces, the orientation of China's advanced culture and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the Chinese people, is the crystallization of the Party's collective wisdom and a guiding ideology the Party must follow for a long time to come, Jiang said in his report.

Li Jianguo, a delegate from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, said that the Party's third-generation leadership with Jiang Zemin at the core has never stopped practice and theoretical innovation since the Party put Deng Xiaoping Theory into its constitution five years ago.

"The important thought of Three Representatives has been put forward on the basis of a scientific judgment of the Party's historical position," Li said. "It is a powerful theoretical weapon for strengthening and improving Party building and promoting self-improvement and development of socialism in China."

The "Three Representatives", a continuation and development of Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory, demonstrates that the Party has further improved its theoretical basis, and become more mature politically and firmer in faith, said Li Zhanshu, another delegate from Shaanxi.

"The important thought of Three Representatives has taken roots in the hearts of hundreds of millions of people as a result of an upsurge of study and implementation of the thought across the nation over the past two years," said Zhang Qingli, a delegate from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Wang Guoxing, a delegate from Handan Steel, a major iron and steel producer based in north China's Hebei Province, said that a theory can be recognized by the mass people only when it benefits them.

"Three Representatives" is the kind of theory that has brought benefits to the Chinese people, Wang said, citing the improvement in performance of his company and a rapid increase in the income of some 30,000 employees there over the past 13 years.

Qiu He, a delegate from east China's Jiangsu Province, said that "Three Representatives" has greatly enhanced the development of productive forces, overall social progress and emancipation of the mind across the country.

"We must further implement the important thought," Qiu said, adding that to amend the Party constitution to include "Three Representatives" will be definitely one of the most important achievements of this congress.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2002)