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President Xi Jinping has urged overseas-educated experts and professionals to contribute to realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, whether they return home or stay abroad.

Xi made the remarks at a gathering to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Western Returned Scholars Association, an organization formed by Chinese returnees from abroad.

The gathering took place at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday morning and was attended by about 3,000 people.

Xi said the government supports students and scholars studying abroad, encourages them to return to China and guarantees them the freedom to come and go as they wish.

"You are warmly welcome if you return to China. If you stay abroad, we support you in serving the country in various ways," Xinhua News Agency quoted Xi as saying.

The history of government-funded study overseas dates back to late 1840s. Since 1978, China has continually expanded the number of students sent to study abroad.

Between 1978 and 2017, 2.64 million students were sent overseas, with 1.09 million (41.3percent) returning to China.

On Monday afternoon, representatives of those educated overseas gathered in the Beijing office of the Western Returned Scholars Association to offer their perspectives on the issue of foreign study. The association will compose the discussion into a report for the benefit of decision-makers.

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