President Xi Jinping has encouraged Xiamen Airlines to play an active role in serving economic and social development and advancing exchanges and cooperation across the Taiwan Strait.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the instructions in a recent letter of reply to staff members of the airline on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its founding.

In the letter, released on Wednesday, Xi mentioned his participation in the early stage of the airline's development when he served as vice-mayor of Xiamen, a coastal city in Fujian province, saying that he has been following the development of the company over the past four decades.

Xi said he is delighted to see that the airline has made significant achievements.

He expressed hope that the staff members will carry forward the airline's fine traditions, stick to reform and innovation and enhance its core competitiveness.

He also called for more efforts from the airline to promote the high-quality development of China's civil aviation sector and boost the country's strength in transportation.

The staff members of Xiamen Airlines, which was established in 1984, recently wrote to Xi to share with him the airline's accomplishments over the past 40 years and their resolve to build up the company's presence and contribute to integrated development across the Strait.