Xi Jinping Replies to 102-Year-Old Party Member, Emphasizes Inheritance of Red Gene

On the occasion of the 105th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary Xi Jinping sent a reply letter to Zhang Liansheng, a 102-year-old veteran party member working at Xinhua News Agency, commending his lifetime of revolutionary service and encouraging the party to inherit the red revolutionary spirit. In his letter, Xi praised Zhang for his service as a radio operator in the "Fourth Team" of the Central Column during the Liberation War, when he followed the Party Central Committee in campaigns across northern Shaanxi and devoted his entire life to communications technology. The "Fourth Team" was a news and communications unit that accompanied the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao Zedong during the Liberation War era, responsible for news transmission and liaison. Zhang had recently written to Xi expressing his lifelong commitment to follow the Party, describing himself as a perpetual member of the "Fourth Team." Xi responded that this sentiment reflects genuine and deep faith in and love for the Party. He emphasized that contemporary Communist Party members must inherit the red gene, remain true to the Party's original mission, maintain their commitment, fulfill their duties with dedication and practical action, and write excellent answers on the new journey of the times. Xi's reply served as both a tribute to the elderly veteran's lifetime loyalty and a call to all party members to uphold revolutionary traditions and continue advancing the Party's cause in the new era.