Goal in 2003 was making role model, now he voices pride in their success

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, has made a written reply to Party members from a remote village in Yuyao, Zhejiang province, encouraging them to lead efforts to beautify their village.

In a message sent in recent days in response to a letter from Party members there, Xi called on them to pass along the legacy of the revolutionary era and make all efforts to demonstrate the exemplary role of the Party organization and its members.

The remote village of Hengkantou, in a mountainous area in eastern Zhejiang, was once home to a revolutionary base that fought Japanese aggression. Its economic situation has been poor since at least the turn of this century.

Shortly after Xi became Party chief of Zhejiang province, he visited the village in an inspection tour ahead of Spring Festival in 2003.

During the visit, Xi put forward a goal of building the village as a national role model in seeking moderately prosperous living standards and after the visit he encouraged villagers to speed up local development and poverty relief.

In the past 15 years, the village has adjusted its industrial structure, tapped its competitive resources and sought a well-off life for residents.

In his recent message, Xi said he remembers the visit 15 years ago, and he hailed the improved living conditions in the village brought by local efforts including developing Red Tourism and tapping green resources.

Xi said the success of revitalizing rural areas requires the strong buildup of grassroots level Party organizations and qualified Party members.

It is hoped Party organizations and members at the village work with the rest of the villagers, make constant and substantiated efforts, act on local conditions and tap their strengths to build a rich, well-organized and beautiful village and improve living conditions there, Xi said.