国内英语新闻:Overseas Chinese urged to support nation's development

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Top political advisor Yu Zhengsheng has called on overseas Chinese people to contribute more to China's development, especially in poverty relief and charity.

Yu, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, made the remarks on Friday while meeting with overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao who greatly helped the reconstruction after a powerful earthquake hit southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2013.

The 7.0-magnitude quake struck on April 20, 2013, killing 196 people in Lushan County.

At the invitation of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, they will visit the quake zone to review the reconstruction results.

Extending greetings to all overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, Yu said that they are a significant force in China's construction and development and have made "irreplaceable" contributions to the country's reform and opening-up as well as its modernization drive.

While acknowledging increasingly austere challenges in the country's development, Yu stressed that China has a strong material foundation and its economy has great "potentials, tenacity and leeway," expressing confidence in the long-term prosperity for the Chinese economy.

Yu noted China's development will increasingly benefit the world and provide more opportunities and a big stage for overseas Chinese as well as Hong Kong and Macao compatriots, expressing his hope that they will exert more effort to serve the country's development, focus on poverty relief and participate in charity causes.