Chinese President Hu Jintao joins the children delegates to the 6th National Congress of Chinese Young Pioneers to visit China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, May 31, 2010. [Xinhua]

BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao on Monday encouraged children to be ambitious and pursue an all-round development while touring a museum in Beijing along with children from home and abroad ahead of the International Children's Day.

"You will be the driving force of the country's development in the future... You should be always ready to contribute your wisdom and strength to the building of a prosperous, democratic, civilized and harmonious modern socialist country," Hu told Young Pioneers who accompanied him at the China Science and Technology Museum.

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All the representatives of the sixth national congress of the Chinese Young Pioneers, the country's largest children's organization, took part in the tour with the President, as well as other children from home and abroad.

Hu expressed holiday greetings to children of all ethnic groups and wished the once-every-five-year congress a complete success, which was scheduled to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Young Pioneers, whose 130 million members are mainly primary and secondary school students aged between 7 to 14, constitute the majority of Chinese children.

"Children from home and abroad should strengthen exchanges, learn from each other and make progress together, so as to build the world in a better way in the future," Hu said.

Chinese President Hu Jintao joins the children delegates to the 6th National Congress of Chinese Young Pioneers to visit China Science and Technology Museum in Beijing, May 31, 2010. [Xinhua]

Wearing a red scarf presented by a Young Pioneer, Hu visited several exhibits about science and technology, during which he talked with children around him from time to time.

The museum presented a special exhibition during the Children's Day, which falls on Tuesday, to educate children in science and amuse them with science-themed displays and interactive programs.

While visiting the exhibit about safety education, Hu urged the whole society to pay high attention to children's safety and ensure children grow up in a safe environment.

Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Li Keqiang also visited the exhibition on Monday, among other senior leaders.