BEIJING, Sept. 23 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged young people to carry forward the craftsmanship and strive for excellence to serve the country.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a written instruction to congratulate Chinese contestants on their good results at the 45th WorldSkills Competition held in Kazan, Russia, last month.

Xi stressed that technical workers serve as an important foundation supporting made-in-China and created-in-China, and play a key role in high-quality economic growth.

More efforts should be made to improve the system for training, employing, evaluating and motivating skilled workers, develop technical education, carry out vocational training on a large scale, and accelerate the training of a large number of high-quality workers and skilled technical personnel, he said.

"In the whole society, we should carry forward craftsmanship with the pursuit of excellence, and encourage the young people to develop their skills to serve the country," Xi added.

China will hold the 46th WorldSkills Competition in Shanghai in 2021. Xi called for meticulous preparation for the event to boost exchanges and mutual learning with other countries in the field and demonstrate China's vocational training achievements.

Premier Li Keqiang said in an instruction that skilled personnel are precious resources for a country and can provide crucial support in advancing industrial upgrading and high-quality development.

Li emphasized further efforts in cultivating skilled workers, developing modern vocational education and technical colleges, and strengthening international cooperation in this regard.

Vice Premier Hu Chunhua said Monday at a conference that effective measures should be taken to create conditions for the growth and success of skilled workers.

The WorldSkills Competition, known as the "Olympics" for skills, is held every two years. China topped the gold medal tally with 16 gold medals at the 45th WorldSkills Competition.