Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday replied to a letter from families of China's international friends, including Edgar and Helen Snow, George Hatem, Rewi Alley and Israel Epstein.

President Xi thanked the international friends for their contributions to China's revolution, construction and reform, and their earnest friendship toward the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people, who will always cherish their memories.

In the letter, he recalled that in the first half of the 20th century, a large number of international friends, including Edgar and Helen Snow, George Hatem, Norman Bethune, Dwarkanath Kotnis, Rewi Alley and Israel Epstein, traveled thousands of miles to China, where they stood and fought shoulder to shoulder with the CPC and the Chinese people through thick and thin.

According to Xi, China, under the leadership of the CPC, has realized the first centenary goal of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and is striding towards the second centenary goal of building China into a great modern socialist country, and promoting the noble cause of world peace and development.

"The choices that your loved ones made decades ago are all worthy and honorable," Xi wrote in the letter.

The Chinese president has also encouraged the families of international friends to make contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the Chinese people and people of the world, and to building a community with a shared future for mankind.