Xi Jinping started his presidency promising to deliver a "Chinese dream" of national rejuvenation.

The vision will be the guiding philosophy of the new leadership over the next five years, experts said.

In his first speech as president, Xi said on Sunday that people should strive to realize the Chinese dream.

The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation "is a dream of the whole nation, as well as of every individual", he said.

"The Chinese dream, after all, is the dream of the people.

"We must realize it by closely depending on the people, and we must incessantly bring benefits to the people," Xi told about 3,000 national lawmakers at the close of the National People's Congress, which elected him president on Thursday.

In the 25-minute address, he called on the 1.37 billion Chinese people to "bear in mind the mission, unite as one, and gather into an invincible force with wisdom and power".

"All Chinese people deserve equal opportunities to enjoy a prosperous life, see their dreams come true and benefit together from the country's development."

To realize the dream, China must take the Chinese way, Xi said. He has also called for a fostering of the "Chinese spirit," with patriotism playing a major role and the unity of the people strengthening the nation.

Xi vowed to honestly fulfill his duties as defined by the Constitution, saying his election means a "glorious mission" and "profound responsibilities".

"I will always be loyal to our Motherland, be loyal to the people and dedicate all my time and energy to my duties and responsibilities to serve the people," Xi said.

"I will never let you down and will live up to the trust and expectations of people of all ethnicities. We cannot show the slightest complacency, or display any slackness at work," he said.

Sunday's address was a further elaboration of the Chinese dream, a concept that Xi addressed in December, shortly after he was elected chief of the Communist Party of China.

"Nowadays, everyone is talking about the Chinese dream. In my view, realizing the great renewal of the Chinese nation is the Chinese nation's greatest dream in modern history," he said in December.

Experts said Xi's call for a Chinese dream is to build a broad consensus among the people.

Xu Xin, a law professor at Beijing Institute of Technology, said Sunday's address could be considered Xi's inaugural speech and the new leadership's governing ideology in the following years.

"Everybody has a dream," Xu said.

Xi's call for a Chinese dream combines individual success with the fate of the country, he said.

Xu said he expects more concrete steps, such as greater anti-graft efforts, to be taken to fulfill the dream.

NPC close

Zhang Dejiang, the newly elected top legislator, called for the rule of law, at the end of the national legislature's annual session.

He quoted the late leader Deng Xiaoping to elaborate the point.

"Democracy should be safeguarded by the rule of law. And democracy should be institutionalized and legalized. We need to make sure that the system and law will not change due to a leadership switch, nor due to variations of personal opinions and focus of the leadership," said Zhang, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, the top legislative body.

The statement is part of a speech delivered by Deng in late 1978, at a Party meeting that paved the way for opening-up and reform policies.

An Baijie, Jin Zhu and Xinhua contributed to this story.

zhaoyinan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 03/18/2013 page1)