ChinesePresidentXiJinping,alsogeneralsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyofChinaCentralCommitteeandchairmanoftheCentralMilitaryCommission,greetschildrenofBeizhanCommunityinLonghuaDistrictinShenzhen,southChina'sGuangdongProvince,duringaninspectiontour,Oct.24,2018.(Xinhua/JuPeng)BEIJING,June1(Xinhua)--"Abetterlifeforchildrenisourbiggestwish,"saidChinesePresidentXiJinpingashetookpartinachild-focusedactivityaheadofInternationalChildren'sDayin2013.Sincethen,nomatterhowbusyheis,Xi,alsogeneralsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyofChinaCentralCommitteeandchairmanoftheCentralMilitaryCommission,hasalwaystakenthetimetoencourageandnurturechildren,whetheronJune1oratanyothertimeofyear.Hehastalkedwithstudentsinschools,attendedchildren'seventsandrepliedtotheirletters.Hehasalsotakenthetimetointeractwithchildren.ThefollowingmomentsaresomehighlightsofXi'sinteractionswithchildrenoverthepastfewyears.PATRIOTISMChildrenarethefutureofthecountryandthehopeoftheChinesenation,XisaidwhencelebratingInternationalChildren'sDaywithstudentsataprimaryschoolin2014.Heencounteredagroupofstudentswhowerepracticingcalligraphywiththecharacters--"JingZhongBaoGuo,"whichtranslatesintoEnglishas"servingthenationwithabsoluteloyalty."ThephrasecomesfromthestoryofYueFei,anancientmilitarycommanderknownforhispatriotism.Yue'smothertattooedthesefourChinesecharactersonhisbacktoremindhimoftheimportanceofunswervingloyaltytothenation.Xirecalledthat,asachild,hewasverymuchinspiredbythestoryofYue,whichhelearnedfromapicturebookhismotherhadgivenhim."This(JingZhongBaoGuo)hasbecomethepursuitofmylife,"XisaidashecalledonthestudentstobreaknewgroundforChina.STUDYHARD,BEAUTIFULMINDXisetsgreatstorebytheintellectualdevelopmentofchildren.Hesaidthatchildrenintoday'sChinaareanewforceintheendeavorofbuildingamodernsocialistcountry,andurgedthemtostudyhard,firmuptheiridealsandconvictions,anddevelopstrongbodiesandmindstoprepareforrealizingtheChineseDreamofnationalrejuvenation.Xiismorethanpleasedtocatchupontheforaysmadebychildrenandteenagersintoscience.Backin2016,hepraisedateamofmiddleschoolstudentsfortheirpassioninscienceexploration,encouragingthemtostayhungryforknowledge,maintaintheirinterestinscientificexplorationandfostertheirscientificspirit.ThestudentshadpreviouslysentXialetterbriefinghimonamini-satellitetheyhaddesignedanddeveloped.Bothacademicperformanceandaestheticsensibilityareimportant,accordingtoXi'svisionofaneducationsystemthatensuresthewell-roundeddevelopmentofstudents.InaletterreplyingtoprofessorsattheCentralAcademyofFineArtsin2018,Xinotedtheimportanceofaestheticeducationinshapingabeautifulmindandstressedtheneedtoimproveaestheticeducationtoensurethehealthygrowthofthecountry'syounggeneration."ALITTLEBITSTRONGER"Xibelievesthatchildren'shealthandfitnessarenotrivialmatter,notingthat"whentheyoungpeoplearestrong,thecountrywillbestrong."Onechild-healthproblemthathasweighedonXi'smindismyopia.DuringavisittoaprimaryschoolinShaanxiProvincein2020,Xistressedtheimportanceofprotectingtheeyesightofchildrenwhenhenoticedsomestudentswearingglasses.Healsocalledforgreatereffortstobuildupchildren'sphysicalstrengthviasportsandexercise.DuringhisvisittoGermanyinMarch2014,XicheeredonagroupofyoungChinesefootballersplayingafriendlymatchagainstlocalplayers."Ihaveconfidenceinyou,inyourgeneration,"Xisaidtothe20kidswhowerebeingtrainedinBerlin."Ihopeyouwillgrowuptobeoutstandingfootballplayers."InFebruary2017,attheWukesongSportsCenterinBeijing,Xibentoverandgreetedayounghockeyplayerinaspecialway--bumpingtheboy'sshoulderwithhisown."Growalittlebitstronger,youngman,"Xisaidtohimwithasmile.INDUSTRIOUSNESSXihasalwaysattachedgreatimportancetothecultivationofindustriousnessamongchildren.Formanyyears,Xihaslaboredsidebysidewithyoungstudentsinvoluntarytree-plantingactivitiesinBeijing.Asheworked,Xiwouldaskabouttheirstudiesandlives,andencouragethemtostudyhard,lovetheirworkanddomoreexercise."IwasdeeplyimpressedwhenIsawGrandpaXishoveling,diggingandwateringthesaplingssoskillfully,"saidBiYang,whowasamongagroupofprimaryschoolstudentsatBeijing'sannualtree-plantingeventin2019.BisaidtheconversationtheyhadwithXiwasinspiring,andshewouldkeepXi'swordsinmind,puttingmoreeffortintoherstudies,workandexerciseinordertocontributetothecountry.In2013,XivisitedtheBeijingChildren'sPalace.Atitsbotanicalgarden,hewatchedchildrendofarmactivitiesrangingfromhoeingandsowingtoharvestingvegetables.Heapproachedtwochildrenwhoweretransplantingseedlings,andtalkedwiththemabouttheirknowledgeoftheplant.Hetoldthechildrenthatlifeisbuiltonhardwork.Xiencouragedthechildrentotakeprideintheirwork."Throughwork,youwillnotonlysowtheseedsofhopeandreapthefruits,butalsotemperyourwillandimproveyourselves,"hesaid.