President Xi Jinping has called on the country's teachers to make greater contributions to building a stronger China and realizing the national rejuvenation.
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 letter sent to representatives of outstanding teachers attending a meeting in Beijing on Saturday.
In the letter, Xi, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, sent greetings to teachers and all the other people working in the education sector across the country ahead of Teachers' Day, which falls on Sept 10.
For a long time, teachers across the country, as represented by the outstanding members, have cultivated a significant number of capable individuals who can take on important responsibilities, Xi said in the letter.
Xi noted that China has witnessed the emergence of a group of educationists and excellent teachers in its teaching community, who have demonstrated the country's distinctive ethos of educationists.
Xi expressed his hope for nationwide teachers to carry forward the ethos of educationists and make new and greater contributions to building China into a stronger country and realizing the national rejuvenation.
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Premier Li Qiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made instructions and called for efforts to strengthen the ability of teachers and improve the teachers education system with Chinese characteristics.
He stressed the need to increase the support for ensuring benefits and improve the awarding and honoring system for teachers to make teaching a profession that enjoys the greatest respect and admiration of society.
Ding Xuexiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, conveyed Xi's letter and Li's instructions and made remarks at the meeting.
Ding called on teachers across the country to earnestly implement the Party's educational policy and cultivate more capable personnel who can undertake great responsibilities.
Fostering more competent teachers should be taken as a basic task of local governments and related authorities, Ding stressed.
Eight representatives of outstanding teachers attending the meeting also made speeches.