President Xi Jinping has encouraged overseas students at Peking University to garner a deeper understanding of China as it is, calling on them to share their thoughts and experiences with more people and to proactively promote exchanges between peoples of different nations.

Xi's remarks came as he wrote back on Monday to 45 representatives of overseas students from 32 countries who are studying at Peking University.

"One must understand the Communist Party of China before understanding today's China," wrote Xi, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

He noted that the students have taken the initiative to learn about China and the history of the CPC, which is highly beneficial for them to know China's past, present and future.

"You mentioned that the CPC has committed itself to developing the economy, eradicating poverty and actively assisting other countries in fighting COVID-19," said Xi. "The CPC is committed to these endeavors because it is a political party that strives for both the wellbeing of the Chinese people and human progress."

"Seeing is believing," the president said as he extended a message to the students to visit more parts of China.

The reply letter from Xi has drawn a warm response from the overseas students at the university, many of whom said it gave them a great boost.

Sovath Kenh, a PhD candidate in economics from Cambodia, said he and his fellow students started planning the letter in March.

He said they wanted to share what they have seen and heard since coming to China, including their knowledge about the CPC's extraordinary efforts in various aspects, such as economic growth, poverty alleviation, the pandemic fight and international cooperation.

"We hoped that we could condense thousands of words into the letter to thank the CPC for its contribution to Chinese residents, the world and the community with a shared future for mankind," he said.

"The reply letter made each of our overseas students feel profoundly honored and warm," he added.

Alexandra Pozhidaeva, a Russian student in the School of Journalism and Communication, said she was willing to use her knowledge to answer the call from Xi and to tell China's stories and make the nation's voices heard.

Anzelika Smirnova, a PhD candidate from Latvia, said she was very excited to hear about the reply letter from Xi.

She said it fully showcased the care shown by the Chinese leadership and the expectations it has for young people from different nations.

"We learned a lot at the university and in China. We will do what President Xi expects us to do to step up exchanges and mutual learning so that we can tell true stories about China to more people," she added.

Thomas Donglona Adawa, a PhD candidate from Chad at the School of International Studies, said his learning experience in China offered an "excellent window" to know about the CPC and enabled him to better learn about the country's development.

"It was a great honor for me to have pursued my degree here in China and to have witnessed China's quick growth in person. I will bring back what I have seen, learned and thought about to my motherland and help with the progress of society," he said.

记者：徐伟 邹硕