BEIJING, Feb. 10 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday encouraged members of a Chinese medical team sent to Africa to benefit local people with their medical proficiency and medical ethics, and to better present China to the world through their concrete actions.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a letter replying to the 19th Chinese medical team dispatched to the Central African Republic.

In his letter, Xi praised the medical personnel for overcoming difficulties in work and life in providing services for local people, saying that they are not only saving lives, but also building friendship.

He extended his heartfelt regards to all those who are or were on China's international medical aid missions, as this year marks the 60th anniversary of the occasion when the country sent its first medical aid team abroad.

The Chinese people love peace and cherish lives, which is vividly illustrated by their efforts in international medical assistance, the letter says.

Xi called on the medical personnel to use their medical proficiency and ethics to benefit local people, and to better present China to the world through their concrete actions, thus making greater contributions to the building of a global community of health for all, according to the letter.

The 11 members of the team had written to Xi to report on how they had served local people there, expressing their resolve to help build a global community of health for all.

Over the past six decades, China has sent medical teams consisting of 30,000 members to 76 countries and regions across five continents, providing 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people.

Chinese medical teams are currently working at 115 sites in 56 countries around the world, of which nearly half are in remote areas with harsh conditions.