Overseas Chinese and Chinese-language media around the world have continued to give prominence to the ongoing 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), placing high hopes that China will become even more prosperous in the future.

Shi Shuimei, president of the Fukien Benevolent Association in the United States, said building a harmonious society in China, a concept reiterated by President Hu Jintao in his keynote report, enjoys wide support among overseas Chinese.

The success of the concept is of great significance not only to China, but also to the world as a whole, Shi said.

Zheng Qi, the association's vice president, said the mainland's policy toward Taiwan mentioned in Hu's report outlines a "road map" for peaceful development across the Taiwan Strait.

Zheng Bin, chairman of an overseas Chinese union in the United States, said overseas Chinese felt warm at heart in hearing the report's parts on Taiwan.

Chen Qiyong, president of a Chinese alumni association, said the report signals a sincere appeal to Taiwan for reconciliation and peace, demonstrating that people of the same blood are naturally bound together.

Chen Mang, chairman of the board of the European Business and Lifestyle, a Chinese-language newspaper in Germany, and Fan Xuan, the editor in chief, said the CPC's National Congress has become the focus of media attention the world over.

China, under the leadership of the CPC, will step up its efforts to achieve economic prosperity and social harmony, thus laying a more solid foundation on which China is emerging as a great power on the international arena, they said.

Xu Guochang, a researcher at Germany's Potsdam Geological Research Center, said the report laid emphasis on the Scientific Outlook on Development, which is very encouraging.

Feng Qin, director of China-Britain Technology Trade Association, said it is absolutely sound and correct that Hu put emphasis on further reforms and opening up, the Scientific Outlook on Development, people-oriented governance and sustainable development in his report.

After years of practice, the Scientific Outlook on Development has taken root in the hearts of the people and enjoys popular support among ordinary people, Feng said.

China's international standing has risen remarkably as the country's economy has enjoyed rapid growth and its national strength has been greatly enhanced in recent years, he said.

Chinese South Africans are following with great interest the ongoing CPC Congress. The All Africa Association for Peaceful Reunification of China and some other Chinese groups and community leaders in South Africa have published messages on local Chinese-language media to offer congratulations on the convening of the congress.

Chinese-language media in Italy, including The Europe China Times, Euro New China, Europe Express, have given extensive reporting on the congress.

Their reports said the ongoing congress is an important event in China's political life and will have a far-reaching influence on the future of the country.

An editorial in The Europe China Times noted that the Chinese people, under the leadership of the CPC, will chart their own path toward a harmonious, developed and advanced socialist society with Chinese characteristics.

World News, Chinese Commercial News, Philippine Chinese Daily and Sino-Fil Daily, the four major Chinese-language newspapers in the Philippines, have been running reports on the congress and paid great attention to the report delivered by Hu.

Sing Tao Daily's European edition carried an article on Wednesday, expounding on the Scientific Outlook on Development mentioned in Hu's report, saying the it is a theory of keeping up with the trend of the time, important guidelines for China's economic and social development and also major strategic thinking.

The article said China's goal at the present stage is to build a harmonious society and a powerful country and make its people affluent.

It said China will succeed in achieving its present goal by carrying out the Scientific Outlook on Development, promoting the strategy of sustainable development, transforming the mode of economic development and improving the efficiency of its development.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2007)