Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with students at the students' farm of Beijing Yuying School in Beijing, capital of China, May 31, 2023. Xi on Wednesday visited Beijing Yuying School and extended festival greetings to children across the country ahead of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday visited a school in Beijing ahead of International Children's Day, which falls on June 1.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stressed the all-around development of children in the new era, and extended festival greetings to children across the country.

During his visit to Beijing Yuying School, Xi said children are the future of the country and the hope of the nation. He emphasized the importance of children's sound moral grounding, intellectual ability, physical vigor, aesthetic sensibility and work skills.

Xi urged Chinese children in the new era to have high aspirations and dreams, enjoy studying and working, be grateful and friendly, and have the courage to innovate and strive.

He expressed his hope that the students study with the goal of building a strong country and contributing to national rejuvenation, and meet the expectations of their parents, the Party and the people.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, and Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier, accompanied Xi on the visit.

The school was established in 1948 in Xibaipo, a revolutionary base in north China's Hebei Province.

At the school museum, Xi learned about the history of the school, how the school promoted reform and innovation in education and teaching methods, and how it implemented measures to ease the burdens of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students, or the "double reduction" policy, in recent years.

Noting that the fundamental task of education is to foster virtue and nurture talent, Xi said the implementation of the "double reduction" policy is a process that requires sustained efforts, and it is important to guide parents, schools and society to better carry out the policy.

Xi took a careful look at the campus on foot. On the basketball court, some students were playing basketball, and some were jumping ropes.

Physical growth comes first for juveniles, said Xi, adding that sports and exercise are the most effective means to build up the physique of teenagers and children.

Children are expected to grow stronger physically, rather than becoming chubby, said Xi.

It is imperative to staff schools with sufficient and capable PE teachers, and families, schools and society should create conditions for teenagers and children to improve their physical fitness, said Xi.

Visiting the students' farm on campus, where students of the school engaged in agricultural practice, Xi urged efforts to guide children to cultivate the awareness of manual labor and to develop the habit of working from an early age.

Noting the lack of contact with rural areas and nature of some urban children, Xi told the students that learning about nature starts with learning about the plants around them.

Xi expressed the hope for them to become aware of the hardship of farming and the difficulties facing farmers through the study of agriculture, and develop the good habits of loving physical labor, cherishing food and respecting nature from childhood.

At a science classroom, Xi said that science experiment classes are an effective way to cultivate children's scientific ways of thinking, interest in exploring the unknown, and awareness of innovation.

He expressed hope that the students will grow up to be outstanding scientists in the future and make contributions to the country's cause of achieving greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

Xi then paid a visit to an office of fifth-grade teachers and had conversations with them. He emphasized that China's elementary education has its own advantages. He also underscored upholding cultural confidence, and noted that it is a must to make full use of our own advantageous methods while learning from foreign experience.

That way, children can broaden their perspectives, nurture creative thinking, and embrace inclusivity toward new ideas, said Xi.

Xi also encouraged all teachers to foster a high sense of morality. He stressed that respect for teachers should be fostered among the public and that the profession of teaching should be made a most revered and admired one in society.

In a square of the school, Xi extended greetings to all children in the country and wished them a happy International Children's Day. He added that he was most pleased to witness the happiness and vigor of the students at the school.

The CPC Central Committee has adopted a series of policies and measures to create a better environment for children's healthy development, Xi said.

He expressed confidence in a happier life and a brighter future for children of all ethnic groups in China with the Party's leadership and the outstanding strength of the socialist system.

He told the students that today's children will be the main force in the future to carry forward the cause of building a strong country and rejuvenating the Chinese nation.

"To realize the goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects by the middle of this century, my generation is working hard now, and in the future you should carry on our cause," he said.

Xi also encouraged teachers across the country to achieve more in this noble profession.