Ahead of the 105th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which falls on July 1, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, sent a reply letter to Zhang Liansheng, a 102-year-old Party member who retired from Xinhua News Agency. Xi extended sincere greetings to Zhang as well as to veteran Party members and comrades across the country.

In the reply letter, Xi noted that Zhang, as a radio operator with the "Fourth Brigade" of a central armed force, followed the Party Central Committee through the flames of war in northern Shaanxi in northwest China about eight decades ago, devoted his entire life to the post of communications technology with hard work, and, even in his centenarian years, still cares about the cause of the Party and the country. Xi expressed his respect for Zhang.

"In your letter, you expressed your resolve to always follow the Party and regard yourself as a member of the 'Fourth Brigade' forever. These words embody sincere and profound faith in and deep love for the Party," Xi told Zhang. "Party members in the new era must carry forward the revolutionary traditions, stay true to our original aspiration, keep our mission firmly in mind, faithfully perform duties, take on responsibilities through concrete actions, and strive for outstanding accomplishments on the new journey."

The "Fourth Brigade" was a Xinhua working team that followed the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao Zedong in northern Shaanxi during the War of Liberation, responsible for news reporting and liaison work. Recently, Zhang wrote to Xi, recalling his revolutionary work experience in the "Fourth Brigade" and expressing his firm commitment to always following the Party.