Congress of returned overseas Chinese opens in Beijing

Seventh congress of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives opens in Beijing, July 20, 2004. Approximately 1,000 representatives from across China and more than 100 specially-invited guests of honor worldwide are attending the congress.

China's central authorities on Tuesday, July 20, called returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, and Chinese nationals residing abroad an important, worthy force for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and expressed the hope that they will contribute more to the motherland.

Wang Zhaoguo, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark Tuesday in a congratulatory speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council to the opening session of the seventh national congress of this group of people.

Top CPC and state leaders, including Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan, attended the opening of the four-day congress.

Wang Zhaoguo said in the speech that to accomplish the grand goal of building a better and relatively affluent Chinese society, all sons and daughters of the Chinese nation, including the returned overseas Chinese and Chinese nationals residing worldwide, must be united.

Wang said that the nation expects these people to make fresh contributions to the modernization and reunification of the motherland. They should carry forward the outstanding culture of the Chinese nation and boost the friendship between the Chinese people and the people across the world, he said.

A number of outstanding individuals and collective units from the circle of overseas Chinese were commended at the opening session and received certificates of merits and medals from Hu Jintao and other senior leaders.

Before the opening session, the senior leaders present at the conference met with the representatives and specially-invited foreign guests attending the congress.

The agenda of the congress included deliberating the work report of the Sixth National Committee of the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese, making amendments to the Charter of the Federation and electing the Seventh National Committee.

Source: Xinhua