BEIJING - President Xi Jinping has sent a letter to the China Vocational Education Association (CVEA) to offer congratulations on the 100th anniversary of its founding.

In the letter published Friday, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, praised the association's historical contributions and called on the organization to promote development of the country's vocational education.

The president also told the association to work with domestic and overseas vocational education workers to strengthen exchanges and better serve society.

Yu Zhengsheng, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, attended Friday's celebration.

Yu spoke of the association's glorious history, saying that it is a pioneer of China's modern vocational education, an important organization in strengthening and developing united front work and a major force in providing social services.

Yu asked the association to unite domestic and overseas vocational education workers, play its role in boosting modern vocational education, improve social services and carry forward fine traditions.

Xi's letter was read by Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The CVEA was founded in 1917 by dozens of Chinese figures in educational and industrial fields.