Students at a primary school in Qianxi, Guizhou province, practice the bamboo pole dance on Tuesday in preparation for the upcoming International Children's Day, which falls on Sunday. ZHOU XUNCHAO/FOR CHINA DAILY

President Xi Jinping has sent a congratulatory letter to the ninth national congress of the Chinese Young Pioneers, a national organization for Chinese children ages 6 to 14. The congress opened on Tuesday in Beijing.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed in the letter that the CYP should follow the Party and cultivate qualified builders for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

With the approach of International Children's Day, which falls on Sunday, Xi extended his greetings to children across the country. He said that children represent the future force in building a strong nation and rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

He called on the CYP to educate and guide its members to become exemplary young people of the new era who love the Party and the country, and are diligent in their studies and well-rounded in their development.

He also called for creating a favorable environment for children's healthy growth.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, attended the opening meeting of the congress. Approximately 3,000 people attended the meeting.

Shi Taifeng, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee's Organization Department, read out Xi's letter at the meeting and delivered a speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee. He urged CYP members to keep Xi's teachings in mind and stay prepared to contribute to the great cause of building a strong nation and revitalizing the Chinese nation.

By the end of 2023, the CYP, which was founded in October 1949, had more than 114 million members, according to official statistics.