Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday stressed upholding the Party's overall leadership over trade unions and mobilizing the country's hundreds of millions of workers to vigorously take part in the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation.

Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during a talk with the new leadership of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU).

Commenting on the work of the ACFTU and trade unions at all levels in the past five years, Xi said they made a lot of productive efforts in strengthening political guidance for workers, organizing employees' work, protecting workers' rights and interests, keeping the team of employees stable, deepening trade union reforms and advancing Party building in the trade union system.

It is necessary to unite the masses of workers closely around the Party and unite their efforts to realize the Party's central tasks, he noted, adding that the focus should be on implementing the new development philosophy, building a new development paradigm and promoting high-quality development.

Xi called for carrying out various forms of labor and skill competitions to stimulate the enthusiasm and potential of labor.

He also noted that the working class and other working people in China should carry forward the spirit of model workers, hard work and craftsmanship and called for efforts to cultivate more model and high skilled workers.

Stressing that the working class and other working people are the main creators of social wealth, Xi called on the trade unions to earnestly fulfill their basic duties of safeguarding the rights and services of workers and focus on solving problems related to the vital interests of the workers.

He also called for strengthening the democratic management of enterprises and public institutions, smoothing the channels for workers to express their demands, guiding workers to safeguard their rights and interests in accordance with the law and promoting the construction of harmonious labor relations.

The Chinese president emphasized the necessity of deepening the reform and construction of trade unions, urging efforts to consolidate the grass-roots level and stimulate their vitality.