BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping has called on the faculty and students at Northeastern University to make greater contributions to the full revitalization of Northeast China and Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter sent Friday, in which he extended his congratulations on the university's 100th anniversary and greetings to its faculty members, students and alumni.

Since its inception, Northeastern University has cultivated a large number of talent, making positive contributions to the country as well as the nation, said Xi.

He expressed his hopes that the university could cultivate more high-caliber talent based on the country's strategic needs, expand its leading edge in strong disciplines, and continue to produce high-level scientific research results.

Northeastern University was founded in 1923. Its faculty and students recently wrote to Xi, vowing to seize the opportunities brought about by the full revitalization of the northeast and contribute more to the country.