BEIJING, Aug. 31 -- The 11th national congress of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives opened in Beijing on Thursday morning.

Leaders of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the state including Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Han Zheng attended the event and extended their congratulations. Li Xi delivered a speech on behalf of the CPC Central Committee.

Nearly 1,200 representatives of returned overseas Chinese and their relatives from across the country and nearly 600 overseas Chinese from more than 100 countries attended the congress.

In the speech, Li Xi expressed congratulations on the congress and extended greetings to returned overseas Chinese and their relatives, overseas Chinese, and workers with the All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese (ACFROC).

Li praised the ACFROC and its affiliated organizations for fulfilling their responsibilities and improving themselves over the past years since the 10th national congress took place.

Returned overseas Chinese and their relatives and current overseas Chinese have played their unique advantages and contributed to economic development, poverty alleviation, the fight against COVID-19, the opening up, the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao, and national reunification, Li said.

Li stressed the necessity of all people of the Chinese nation at home and abroad making joint efforts to realize the Second Centenary Goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects and to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.

He called on returned overseas Chinese and their relatives and overseas Chinese to play a greater role in helping create a new pattern of development, promoting high-quality development, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, promoting national reunification, and jointly shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation.

Models of returned overseas Chinese and outstanding individuals and groups under the ACFROC and its affiliated organizations were honored at the ceremony.