Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent congratulations to China Central Television (CCTV) for the 60th anniversary of its founding, giving birth to the television industry of the People's Republic of China (PRC), and sent greetings to all staff members at the China Media Group (CMG) and TV professionals across the country.

In a congratulatory letter, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, asked CMG to be bold in its reform and innovation, and strengthen mainstream public opinion.

He called on CMG and TV professionals nationwide to strive towards building a world-class new mainstream media with strong guidance, coverage and influence.

CCTV, which was established on May 1, 1958, now operates 41 channels and broadcasts 329,000 hours of content a year. It is the only TV station in the world that broadcasts uninterrupted in all six official languages of the United Nations (UN).

In March, CCTV (including its subsidiary China Global Television Network (CGTN)), China National Radio (CNR) and China Radio International (CRI) were consolidated into CMG.

CMG held a commemorative meeting in Beijing on Wednesday morning to mark the anniversary. Huang Kunming, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, read Xi's congratulatory letter at the meeting.

On the 60th anniversary of the founding of China Central Television (CCTV) and the birth of the television industry of the People's Republic of China (PRC), I, on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, extend warm congratulations to you and sincere greetings to all staff members of the China Media Group (CMG) and TV professionals across the country!

The TV industry is an important aspect of the Party's work on news and public opinion. Over the past 60 years, under the Party's leadership, Chinese TV professionals have adhered to the correct political direction and the correct orientation of public opinion, focused on the central task and overall situation, communicated the Party's views to the people, expressed the people's wishes, highlighted main themes of the era, and promoted "positive energy" by making active contributions to the cause of the Party and the people.

Since the creation of CMG, staff members have been making active efforts to deepen media integration, facilitate the accumulation of strengths, and improve resource sharing in accordance with the unified requirement by the CPC Central Committee. By making outstanding media products and innovating new ways of communicating with the overseas audience, you have provided rich intellectual nourishment to the people and presented a genuine, multi-dimensional and comprehensive China to the world.

I hope TV professionals at CMG and across the country can thoroughly study and implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the 19th CPC National Congress, enhance the "Four Consciousnesses" ("consciousness of the ideology, the whole, the core and the line"), strengthen the "Four Confidences" (confidence in the path, theory, system and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics), uphold the Party's leadership, maintain a people-centered approach, faithfully fulfill your responsibilities and missions, coordinate radio and TV, domestic and international communication as well as traditional and emerging forms of media, raise abilities in international communication, vigorously carry out reform and innovation, boost the influence of mainstream public opinion, and strive to build world-class new mainstream media with strong guidance, coverage and influence, and break new ground in your work, so as to make new and greater contributions to achieving China's two centennial goals (By 2021, to celebrate the CPC's centenary, the goal is to "build a moderately prosperous society in all respects;" by 2049, the centenary of the PRC, the goal is to "build a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious") and the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Xi Jinping

September 26, 2018