BEIJING, June 1 -- Ahead of International Children's Day, which is celebrated on June 1 every year, students of Beijing Yuying School received a special guest -- President Xi Jinping.

 

During the visit on Wednesday, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged the students to have high aspirations and dream big, and study with the goal of building a strong country and contributing to national rejuvenation.

 

Over the years, Xi has shown genuine concern for children, calling them "the future of the country and the hope of the nation."

 

Back in May 1985, when Xi, then Party chief of Hebei Province's Zhengding County, was about to leave Zhengding for a new post in the coastal city of Xiamen in Fujian Province, he made a special visit to a village in the county to inspect the ongoing renovation work of the local primary school.

 

There Xi gave some cash to the principal, saying, "I will leave Zhengding tomorrow. Please use this money to buy books for the children." The sum provided by Xi was equivalent to three months of his salary at that time.

 

Since assuming the Party's top job in November 2012, Xi has always squeezed time despite his busy schedule to inspire and support children.

 

During a visit to a primary school in the mountainous hinterland of southwest China's Chongqing in 2019, Xi told local villagers that "efforts must be made to ensure children in impoverished mountainous regions have access to education and enjoy a joyous childhood."

 

In 2020, Xi's inspection tour to the northwestern province of Shaanxi took him to a township primary school, where the president expressed his concern about an increasing number of children with short-sightedness. Xi encouraged the students to prioritize their physical well-being and strive to become stronger individuals.

 

"Since antiquity, it is from adolescents that heroes emerge," Xi quoted the ancient Chinese saying while interacting with students of Beijing Haidian Minzu Primary School ahead of International Children's Day in 2014.

 

Xi's words planted a seed of hope and determination in the heart of Mi Zenghao, who was among the young listeners about nine years ago. Mi, cherishing the dream of contributing to the country's development with his own efforts, is now a college student and a tennis lover.

 

During that same visit in 2014, Xi joined a calligraphy session alongside a group of students who were practicing the characters for "Zhong Guo Meng," which translates to "Chinese Dream" in English.

 

As the students requested Xi to add the finishing stroke to their calligraphy, he humbly declined, saying: "The country counts on you to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation."