BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the First Innovation Exchange Conference for Craftsmen of the Nation, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for contributing wisdom and strength to high-quality development and the implementation of the strategy to build the country into a leader in manufacturing.

On behalf of the CPC Central Committee, Xi extended sincere greetings to skilled workers, model workers and general workers ahead of the International Labor Day.

Xi stressed that skilled workers are a significant force to shore up China's manufacturing and innovation.

Encouraging workers to strive to meet the needs of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation in today's world, Xi called on them to continuously enhance technical skills and contribute wisdom and strength to promoting high-quality development, implementing the strategy of making China a leader in manufacturing, and building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Party committees and governments at all levels should deepen reforms in the cultivation of industrial workers and attach importance to giving play to the roles of skilled workers to fully stimulate their innovation capacity, Xi said.

Held by the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the conference showcases the superb skills and innovation outcomes of Chinese workers, and serves as an exchange platform for highly-skilled workers.