Members of South Africa Soong Ching Ling Foundation and children in the SOS Children's Village Cape Town attend a donation ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on April 29, 2022. Photo:Xinhua

On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent a congratulatory letter to extend warm congratulations to all members of the foundation and sincere greetings to people in and outside China who have contributed to the cause of the foundation.

In the letter, Xi said that under the strong leadership of the Party, China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, over the past 40 years, has inherited and carried on the lofty ideals of Madame Soong Ching Ling and has played a significant role in many aspects including enhancing international friendship, expanding cross-Strait exchanges and exchanges with Hong Kong and Macao, and undertakings promoting youth development.

Xi expressed his hope that the foundation will uphold Madame Soong Ching Ling's conviction that "we will always stand with the Party," and pursue its cause under the principle of "peace, reunification, and future." With a clear understanding of the theme of our times, the foundation should give full play to its unique strengths, deepening nongovernmental international cooperation, remaining committed to promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland, helping the growth and development of young people, advancing charitable causes, and making greater contributions to promoting the unity of all Chinese at home and abroad and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation, Xi hoped.

A ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of the founding of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation was held in Beijing on Tuesday. Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the ceremony and delivered a speech. He said General Secretary Xi's congratulatory letter has fully recognized the achievements made by the foundation over the past four decades and set requirements for its missions in the new era. This demonstrates that the CPC Central Committee attaches great importance to the foundation's work and has ardent expectations for it, and it points out the direction for the future development of the foundation in the new era. The foundation should study and implement the gist of Xi's letter, adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. It should boost its consciousness of the need to maintain political integrity, think in big-picture terms, follow the leadership core, and keep in alignment with the central Party leadership; strengthen its confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics; and uphold General Secretary Xi Jinping's core position on the Party Central Committee and in the Party as a whole and uphold the Party Central Committee's authority and its centralized, unified leadership. It should also forever follow the right political line, keep abreast of the times, and give prominence to its nature as an organization for public interest, so that the foundation will do an even better job in pursuing its cause in the new era.

Wang said that as a people's organization under CPC leadership, the foundation should uphold Madame Soong Ching Ling's conviction that "we will always stand with the Party" as its guiding principle and take it as the pivot of its work to pool strength for realizing national rejuvenation, so as to forge a mighty force that unites all Chinese at home and abroad to fulfill the Chinese Dream together. While continuing to focus on the central task and serve the overall interests of the country, the foundation should coordinate all its work to become a platform for expanding people-to-people diplomacy, a bridge for promoting the peaceful reunification of the country, a force for facilitating the youth and teenagers' development, and a group for advancing public welfare and charity programs. The foundation should continue to improve itself, carry out its work in accordance with the law and its regulations, ensure transparency and inclusiveness of its operation, run its council under prescribed institutions and standards, and step up capacity building of its council members, volunteers, and staff, so as to deliver better work.

You Quan, a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee, read out the congratulatory letter by Xi at the meeting. Li Bin, vice-chairperson of the CPPCC National Committee and chairperson of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, made a speech. Zheng Jianbang, vice-chairman of the CPPCC National Committee, attended the meeting.

Representatives of relevant parties delivered congratulatory messages, and the UNICEF sent a congratulatory letter to the occasion. Those who also attended the meeting include officials of relevant departments and offices under the Party Central Committee and the State Council, heads of some people's organizations, and representatives of relevant memorial organizations for Sun Yat-sen and Soong Ching Ling, council members and honorary council members of the foundation.

Founded in 1982, the foundation is a people's organization under the leadership of the CPC. Over the past 40 years, following the principle of "peace, reunification, and future," it has contributed to promoting people-to-people friendship with other countries, promoting cross-Strait exchanges and exchanges with Hong Kong and Macao. The foundation has also made significant contributions to the development of youth programs.