Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday sent a congratulatory letter to the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (CSCLF) over the 40th anniversary of its founding.

In the letter, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the foundation to make new and greater contributions to the promotion of solidarity of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation at home and abroad.

Xi extended sincere greetings to people of all walks at home and abroad who have contributed to the cause of the CSCLF.

Over the past four decades, the CSCLF, under the leadership of the CPC, has carried forward the lofty spirit of Madame Soong Ching Ling and played an important role in promoting friendly international relations, expanding exchanges across the Taiwan Strait and with Hong Kong and Macao, and developing youth programs, Xi said in the letter.

Xi expressed his hope that the CSCLF will carry on Madame Soong's faith of "always staying with the Party together," further promote friendly people-to-people cooperation, advance peaceful reunification of China, facilitate the growth of youth, and develop public interest activities and charity.

Addressing a Tuesday meeting marking the 40th anniversary of the CSCLF in Beijing, 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, said Xi's congratulatory letter has pointed the way forward for the CSCLF's development in the new era.

Wang urged the CSCLF to coordinate the advancement of its work on all fronts and play a better role as an important platform for non-governmental diplomacy, an important bridge for advancing peaceful reunification of China, an important force for developing youth programs, and an important organization for the development of public interest activities and charity.

Xi's letter was read out by 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, at the meeting.