President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to honor the 70th anniversary of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Writers Association.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended greetings to writers and artists across the country on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

The development of literature and art is an important cause of the Party and the people, and the literary and art front is a vital front of the Party and the people, Xi noted.

Since the founding of the People's Republic of China 70 years ago, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress held in 2012, writers and artists have made very important contributions to the pursuit of a stronger and more prosperous country, social progress and the happiness of the people, Xi said.

The two groups should thoroughly study and implement the thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, he said.

Xi called on them to unite and lead writers and artists nationwide in documenting, writing on and extolling the new era, striving to create outstanding works that do justice to the times, the people and the nation, and making greater contributions on delivering the two centenary goals and realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

The congratulatory letter was read by Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, at a symposium on the anniversary held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday morning.

The China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the China Writers Association, with 135,000 and 12,000 individual members respectively, were both founded in July 1949.