On the afternoon of May 10, Chengdu University (CDU) held the inauguration ceremony of its Western Returned Scholars Association (Overseas-educated Scholars Association). Leaders from Universities in Chengdu and the relevant authorities of Chengdu City attended the inauguration ceremony, including Luo Xia, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC Chengdu Municipal Committee and President of Chengdu Western Returned Scholars Association & Chengdu Overseas-educated Scholars Association, Liu Jia, Vice President and Secretary General of Chengdu Western Returned Scholars Association & Chengdu Overseas-educated Scholars Association, Yang Fan, Member of the Standing Committee of Party Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department of Longquanyi District, You Yi, Director and First-level Investigator of the Office for Non-Party Intellectuals of United Front Work Department of Chengdu Municipal Party Committee, Yang Yong, Deputy Director of the Secretariat of Chengdu Western Returned Scholars Association & Chengdu Overseas-educated Scholars Association, Liu Qiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of CDU, Wang Qingyuan, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of CDU, Tang Yiqian, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of CDU. A total of over 70 people participated in the event, including heads of the Preparation Work Leading Group of the University, leaders of grassroots democratic parties and united front groups, and all directors and member representatives of the First Council of Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU. The inauguration ceremony was chaired by Meng Hui, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Director of the United Front Work Department of CDU.

The ceremony opened with the solemn melody of the national anthem of the People's Republic of China. As the anthem was played, all participants stood straight and sang solemnly along to the melody in unison.

On behalf of the Chengdu Western Returned Scholars Association, Luo Xia expressed her warm congratulations on the establishment of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU. She hoped that the Party Committee of CDU would adhere to the important thoughts of President Xi Jinping on strengthening and improving the united front work and implement the series of important instructions of President Xi Jinping on the work related to overseas students, thus creating a good atmosphere and stimulating the enthusiasm of returned students to serve the country. In addition, she hoped that the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU would highlight the main lines, improve the institutional structures, strengthen the foundation, make continuous improvements in quality and efficiency, take the initiative, and play an active role in fully uniting the intellectual strength of the returned overseas students of the University under the strong leadership of the Party Committee of the University. She said that Chengdu Western Returned Scholars Association will fully support the construction and development of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU and jointly build a platform for overseas students of CDU to serve our country and create a better future for Chengdu and CDU.

Luo Xia licensed the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU (Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CDU) and presented a letter of appointment to Wang Qingyuan, Honorary President of the Association. Liu Jia presented a certificate to Du Jie, President of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU (Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CDU).

Liu Qiang, on behalf of the Party Committee of CDU, extended warm congratulations on the establishment of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU and heartfelt appreciation to all leaders and departments concerned with their attention and support for the development of the educational cause of CDU. He said that the returned overseas students of the University should bear in mind the wishes of President Xi Jinping, conscientiously implement the spirit of the 14th Chengdu Congress of the Communist Party of China, and continue to make contributions in their respective positions. He claimed that the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU should hold high the banner of patriotism, have the courage to pursue innovation and creativity, promote foreign exchanges, strengthen self-building, and unite the wisdom and strength of the returned overseas students of the University, to jointly promote the development of CDU. Liu Qiang said that the Party Committee of CDU will continue to strengthen and improve the united front work, and create a good working, academic, cultural and living environment for overseas students. This will make Chengdu an ideal platform for returned overseas students to serve the country in scientific research, pursue their dreams, make innovations and start businesses.

Tang Yiqian announced the names of the Honorary President, President, Vice President, Secretary-general and Deputy Secretary-general of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU (Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CDU).

Wang Qingyuan and Du Jie awarded certificates to the vice president, secretary-general, deputy secretary-general and directors of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU (Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CDU).

Yang Chun, Chairman of the Overseas Chinese Federation of CDU, delivered a speech on behalf of the democratic parties and United Front Work Groups of the University. She expressed her warm congratulations on the establishment of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU. She said that the democratic parties and united front work groups of the University would work together with the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU to create a new landscape for the united front work of the University and make new contributions to the construction of a model park city practicing the new development concept under the leadership of the Party Committee of the University.

Du Jie, the newly elected president of the Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU, delivered a speech on the work plan of the first council from three aspects, namely, pursuing innovations in the field, serving the overall interests, and striving for success. She said that she would lead all members to inherit the glorious tradition of serving the country with knowledge, would never forget the original intention of studying abroad and the mission of serving the country, and contribute to the magnificent practice of constructing the first-class university and building Chengdu into a park city demonstration area under the guidance of President Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era.

Dr. Li Jian, a member representative of the Association and the first prize winner of the essay competition themed "Motherland, Listen to Me" initiated by the Western Returned Scholars Association of China, delivered a speech under the theme of "Exploring Cultural Confidence from the Changes in English Names of Overseas Students". In his speech, he shared his viewpoint of cultural confidence from his seven years of study in the U.S. He inspired the contemporary youth group with his personal experiences that they should be firm with their cultural confidence no matter when they are at home or in a foreign country, so as to serve as the true mainstay for the revitalization of China.

We should seize the development opportunities to forge ahead on a new journey. CDU has ushered in rapid development in building a domestic first-class application-oriented city university with distinctive characteristics. At the 14th Chengdu Congress of the Communist Party of China, it proposed to support the leapfrog development of municipal universities and encourage universities and institutes to carry out basic research, make breakthroughs in key core technology, and continuously improve the original innovation capacity. The Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU was established right against this backdrop and seized great development opportunities. The Western Returned Scholars Association of CDU (Overseas-educated Scholars Association of CDU), as the first mass organization of the Western Returned Scholars Association in municipal universities, its establishment has added new strength to the Western Returned Scholars Association (Overseas-educated Scholars Association) of Chengdu City and Sichuan Province. It will unite and lead more returned overseas scholars to actively participate in the construction of a domestic first-class application-oriented city university with distinctive characteristics and serve as a talent pool, a think-tank of advice and counsel, and a fresh force of people-to-people diplomacy with practical actions. It will integrate patriotism and strong will to serve the country into the construction of a model park city, play a more important role in economic and social development, and continue to open up new prospects for the career development of university overseas students, so as to prepare for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China with excellent achievements.