BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the National Library of China to stick to correct political direction and promote fine traditional culture.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to eight senior experts from the library. The library celebrates the 110th anniversary of its founding this year.

Xi extended greetings to the staff of the library, expressing the hope that the library will make new contributions to the building of socialist country with great cultural strength.

He acknowledged the positive role the library has played over the past 110 years, and called on the library to explore new ways of providing services, encourage the love of reading among the public, and better meet the people's cultural and intellectual needs.

Founded in 1909, the National Library of China has a collection of nearly 40 million books and receives more than 5 million visitors annually.

Recently, the eight retired experts wrote to Xi expressing their pride in witnessing the steady development of the library and firm confidence in further advancing the library cause in the new era.