Xi extends greetings to overseas Chinese

President Xi Jinping met in Beijing with the representatives of overseas Chinese on Tuesday and extended his sincere greetings to compatriots living around the world.

The meeting took place ahead of the Ninth Conference for Friendship of Overseas Chinese Associations, which will be held in Beijing on Wednesday.

More than 450 leaders of overseas Chinese associations from over 90 countries and regions will attend the conference.

Meanwhile, the first session of the fifth council of the China Overseas Friendship Association was held on Tuesday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, expressed his warm welcome and sincere congratulations to the participants of the two gatherings on behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and the country's top political adviser, also attended the meeting.

Participants at the first session had in-depth discussions on the opportunities and challenges of work related to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as the friendship of overseas Chinese.

Members of the council were urged to work together to make greater contributions to realizing national rejuvenation, deepening the country's new round of opening-up, promoting peaceful reunification of the motherland and advancing the mutual learning of different cultures.