Overseas Chinese and Chinese media around the world have paid a lot of attention to the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) that started Monday, expressing hopes that China will become more prosperous after the meeting.

Zhuo Xuguang, president of the French-Chinese Association of Commerce, said that since the 16th National Congress five years ago, the leadership of the CPC's Central Committee has adhered to the policies of "putting people first."

The leadership attaches importance not only to stability and unity within China, but also to the interests of overseas Chinese, he said, adding that the Chinese people and overseas Chinese have been united to achieve the Chinese nation's rejuvenation.

Zhuo hopes that the new leadership elected by the 17th National Congress would promote social harmony and complete China's great cause of reunification at an early date.

Wu Wuhua, vice president of the Chaozhou Guild in France, said China is a strong backing force for overseas Chinese, who are sincerely looking forward to the motherland's harmonious development.

Yang Yongju, vice president of the Nouvelles d'Europe newspaper, said it is a well-known fact that China has scored great achievements under the leadership of the CPC.

China will realize its goal of building a harmonious and well-off society if the entire nation is united as one under the leadership of the CPC, she said.

Steven Wong, executive chairman of the Unified Organization of Overseas Chinese Associations of New York, said overseas Chinese is proud of the motherland's progress and development.

They also take pride in China's important international status, increasing national overall strength, stable economic growth at top speed and continuously improved living standards of the people, said Wong, who is also president of the Lin Zexu Foundation, USA.

Wang Delong, vice president of the Federation of Chinese Organizations in the Czech Republic, said the report delivered at the meeting by Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, truthfully reviewed the party's experiences of governing the country in the past five years.

The report also pointed out in a pragmatic manner the problems China faced at present, and drafted a blueprint for the Chinese people to follow the path of building socialism with Chinese characteristics under the leadership of the party, he said.

Dai Bo, head of the China Primary School in the Czech Republic, said Hu's report shows that the CPC has a grand design and capability to lead the nation to follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

There is great promise for the motherland's further development, he added.

Yu Zhonghua, a volleyball coach in Qatar, expressed his heartfelt gladness for the convening of the party congress, saying it is significant for China to initiate the construction of a harmonious society and a harmonious world.

In South Africa, leaders of overseas Chinese and their communities had congratulatory messages published in local Chinese papers, congratulating the opening of the 17th CPC National Congress and wishing it a great success.

The overseas Chinese media has carried full coverage on the ongoing congress.

Chinese newspapers in the United St6ate., China Press and Shih Chieh Jih Pao, dedicated three to four pages every day to the 17th National Congress. China Press said in an editorial on Tuesday that Hu Jintao's report delivered to the congress Monday sparkled with new expressions, showing the energy and vitality of the CPC.

Another report from China Press focused on Hu's statement on relations across the Taiwan Straits, saying that Hu's appeal for a peace agreement and a framework for peaceful development of cross-Straits relations will draw extensive attention across the Taiwan Straits.

France's Nouvelles d'Europe newspaper said in an editorial that the political report by Hu Jintao had drafted a roadmap for the CPC's governing strategies for the future and also a blueprint for the Chinese nation's rejuvenation.

The report said that the CPC's experience in reform and opening-up have built a model with "Chinese characteristics" that will exert a profound impact on the world.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2007)