Reporter's log: A warm welcome to the world

Tuesday not only saw the conclusion of the 19th CPC National Congress in Beijing, it also marked the dawning of a new era for China.

For it was on this day that the Party formally gained a new addition to its guiding ideology: Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

I, alongside an array of reporters from countries many and varied, were there to bear witness as the congress' delegates resolved to amend the Party's Constitution and enshrine within it this "crystallization of the practical experience and collective wisdom of the Party and the people", as it was described.

"The Thought is a continuation and development of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Theory of Three Represents, and the Scientific Outlook on Development," the resolution said.

No less momentous than this announcement was the feat of logistics and organization that had brought us all together for this occasion - shepherding journalists being, in my experience at least, about as easy as herding cats.

That everything went without a hitch speaks volumes for how well the event was organized, especially given the veritable United Nations of reporters, photographers and assorted media personnel I saw around me - bringing with them, as they do, the attendant confusion of tongues.

Hundreds of foreign journalists from all over the world were invited to cover the congress - a logical move, given that China is taking an ever greater role in global affairs.

They were welcomed with open arms and provided with a rare insight into the inner workings of China's political system. For some, it will have been for their first congress - it certainly was for me.

Never before had I witnessed a political event of this magnitude firsthand. It put the likes of the United Kingdom's weekly Prime Minister's Questions - the only large scale political event I ever had the chance to attend in my homeland.

And the fact that the congress happens but twice a decade only added to the sense of import, and the honor each attendee felt because they were a part of it.