Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday called for more efforts to promote the "model worker spirit" nationwide to further advance social and economic development.

Hu made the remarks at a rally honoring 2,115 Chinese national labor heros and 870 advanced workers in Beijing ahead of the International Labor Day on May 1.

Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang, also attended the ceremony, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, praised the model workers and advanced workers for their "outstanding contributions in pushing forward the country's social and economic advancement."

"They are the outstanding representatives of hundreds of millions of working people in China who have made noticeable efforts to help build a well-off society in an all-round way," Hu said.

"We should promote and popularize the spirit of model workers throughout the whole of society," Hu said, adding the nation should learn from them, act like them and care for them.

Hu said efforts should be made to stimulate creativity of working people to enhance the nation's sound and fast economic development.

Working people, Hu added, are the major force accelerating economic restructuring, an important process China is going through.

Hu encouraged working people to improve traditional industries and develop strategic new industries, in a bid to build a creative-minded, energy-efficient and environment-friendly society.

Hu said the government will take "political, economic, social, legal and administrative measures" to protect the interest of labor to boost social equality and justice.

The government will also work to create more jobs and lift income for workers, Hu said.

At the ceremony, Premier Wen Jiabao called on the whole nation to follow the example of model workers and make greater contributions to the country's development.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2010)