Time to devote a day in honor of craftsmen

In the Government Work Report delivered on the first day of the annual session of the National People’s Congress, Premier Li Keqiang said China will strengthen quality infrastructure construction and carry forward the “spirit of craftsmanship” to improve the quality of manufacturing in the country.

Lu Xindi, a deputy to the NPC, China’s top legislature, has suggested introducing a national level “Model Worker’s Day of Craftsmanship”, and Sun Dehong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the top political advisory body, has proposed observing a “Chinese Craftsmanship Day” to improve the quality of manufacturing.

Many countries have special days honoring specific professions such as Teachers’ Day, Nurses’ Day, Doctors’ Day and Journalists’ Day. China, too, observes “Labor Day” and “Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Day”, the latter falling on Sept 22 or 23 is steeped in Chinese culture. However, no day has been earmarked for those roughing it out in the production lines.

The introduction of a national level “Model Worker’s Day of Craftsmanship” or “Chinese Craftsmanship Day” can help model workers get due attention and respect. Honoring such workers amounts to recognizing their craftsmanship and hard work.

The spirit with which they work has patriotism at its core, while reform and innovation serve as a powerful spiritual driving force for the Party and the people of all ethnic groups.

The spirit that drives these model workers and skilled workers is worth saluting and emulating. Only by adopting this spirit and applying them to every sphere of our work, study and dedication, can we achieve extraordinary feats.

In the early days after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, millions of workers performed one “miracle” after another through their hard work under arduous conditions.

Whether it is to cherish the past or the present or to look forward to the future, marking a “Model Worker’s Day of Craftsmanship” or “Chinese Craftsmanship Day” at the national level is important. The proposal is worth considering as it reflects the inherent requirements of development in our times.