GUANGZHOU, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday sent a letter of congratulations to the country's first vocational skills competition in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong Province.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended sincere greetings to the contestants and all skilled workers in the letter.

The vocational skills competition provides a platform for workers to display their skills and learn from each other, and plays a positive role in expanding the skilled workforce and promoting social and economic development, according to the letter.

Xi urged efforts to carry forward the spirit of model workers and craftsmanship, stimulate more workers, especially the younger generation, to improve their skills, and foster more highly skilled workers and craftsmen in a bid to achieve the goal of fully building a modern socialist country.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in his instruction that improving vocational skills is a crucial foundation for the country's manufacturing and services industries to move to a medium-to-high level.

Li called for efforts to improve the training system for skilled workers, create a favorable environment to allow them to come to the fore, guide young workers to perfect their skills and build a skilled workforce, in a bid to boost employment, entrepreneurship and innovation in the country and ensure high-quality economic growth.

Approved by the State Council, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security began holding national vocational skills competitions from this year.

The first competition, running from Thursday to Sunday, will see over 2,500 contestants and 2,300 referees in 86 disciplines.