From: Academician Han Qide

Vice President of the Standing Committee, National People's Congress

President of the Western Returned Scholars Association & the Chinese Overseas-Educated Scholars Association

To: Scholars & Students Studying Abroad

Dear Overseas Scholars and Students,

Hello, everyone! Warmest greetings for the New Year and for the Chinese Spring Festival. On behalf of the WRSA /COSA and in my own name, I send best wishes to you and your family as you are studying or working abroad far away from our motherland and your own hometown.

On these festive occasions, we think more than ever of our dear ones. Right now you will be thinking of China and your family and your dear relatives and close friends who are all looking forward to New Year reunions. And here, in our motherland, we are all thinking of you and concerned about you so far away.

China's economy is growing by leaps and bounds; society is stable and in good order, and the Chinese people are living and working in peace and contentment. All social public affairs have improved in all-round way; our great motherland is carrying out her historic mission and playing a more and more important role in international affairs with an increasing effect on the world. All the nationalities of China are living in harmony with stronger coherence than ever owing to good state policies and popular support. Nowadays, as China grows more prosperous, it is necessary for the young generation both at home and abroad to create a well-off society in all round way so as to carry out our great goal of China's renaissance, and this will provide an historic opportunity and a vast stage for all scholars and students studying abroad to develop their talents. It is more than 130 years since Chinese students were sent abroad to study. Throughout this long period, all overseas-educated compatriots upheld the patriotic banner and went all out to serve the cause of the people's liberation and national renaissance, in order to make China prosperous and powerful. During the Chinese revolution, the period of China's construction and the period of reform and opening up to the outside world, our overseas-educated scholars and students left their glorious footprints in various fields -- in science and technology, in education, and in national defense. Among them, the outstanding scientists Li Siguang, Yan Jici, Hua Luogeng and Qian Xuesen, along with the elite of the older generation made great contributions to New China. If we look back in the past, we remember Sun Yat-sen, educated overseas in Japan, who organized and set up the United League of China (1905-1912), which led the revolution in 1911 to overthrow the feudal imperial system. And among the older-generation revolutionaries, were Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Deng Xiaoping and Zhu De, who went to Europe, in searching for the truth to save China.

Since China's reform and opening up to the outside world, some 700,000 scholars and students have gone all over the world to study. Such an overseas study-oriented army is still expanding and flourishing. Our Party and State Administration always pay great attention to all of you, who are considered an organic part of state personnel resources in accordance with the policy for all overseas-educated scholars: "Support going abroad for study, encourage return to the homeland and be free to travel back and forth." Therefore, in order to continue such a policy, two documents have been issued entitled "Suggestions for Encouraging Higher-level Overseas-educated Members to Return to China", and "Suggestions for Encouraging Overseas-educated Members to Serve China in different ways." Both of these documents aim at providing much better environmental and living conditions for those who wish to serve China when they have completed their studies abroad.

Our Party and State Government earnestly hope that you will try your best to be a patriot, a hard-working pioneer, a scientific top climber, or and a human-civilization disseminator. We earnestly hope that most of you will carry forward the glorious tradition of dedicating yourselves to serve our motherland, and combine your own ideals and ambitions with China's destiny to write your own glorious epic. We trust that you will render your service to repay our motherland's generosity and realize the value of your life during this historic period of China's renaissance and unity.

It is nearly 100 years since the WRSA was established. Recently, this nongovernmental organization was given a second name "The Chinese Overseas-Educated Scholars Association", as this shows it is more general and broader than the "Western Returned Scholars Association". It should unite overseas-educated scholars and students all over the world, and we should make full use of such an organization's superiority in organizing and encouraging all overseas-educated members to play an important role in bringing glory to China in building the economy and in furthering its political and spiritual civilization. The task of the WRSA or COSA is to prompt all overseas-educated members to do pioneering work and serve China.

In recent years, as we uphold the great banner of overseas-educated members dedicating our wide-ranging talents to the service of the motherland, our association has organized many activities to serve China. In order to turn the WRSA or COSA members' patriotic enthusiasm into action to modernize China, the association held its 8th Symposium entitled China in the 21st Century, which aimed at urging the overseas-educated members to make suggestions and offer advice. In order to bring their intelligence and practical contributions into play and help them serve economic construction, our association has taken many measures and adopted suggestions to help our "Study Abroad to Serve My Country" plan to be carried out.

Our association has sent more than 30 delegations to the United States, Russia, Japan, South Korea, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia and Switzerland and, at the same time, set up long-term relationships with over 100 associations or leagues of overseas study-oriented scholars and students so as to increase channels to contact many more study-oriented personnel abroad. From now on, we will continue to improve our services and make effective efforts to strengthen our organization so as to protect your legal rights and interests, and turn our WRSA or COSA into a true home for all overseas-educated scholars and students.

Our cause brings with it a great hope that it will stimulate limitless power. Let us, hand-in-hand, uphold the great banner of "Study Abroad to Serve My Country", and strive for our glorious goal of China's renaissance. It is my conviction that a prosperous and stable China must stand up strongly in the East as her economy goes from strength to strength, her legal system is functioning well, her science and technology becoming more advanced, and her culture enriched with our joint efforts.

I earnestly wish that in the coming year all of you work well, study effectively, and keep fit, and 2005 brings happiness to you and your families.

Affectionately Yours,

President Han Qide [signature]

WRSA / COSA, Peking, China