President Xi Jinping has called for increasing care and attention for people with disabilities, who are an important driving force for Chinese modernization, and urged better social security and service mechanisms for people with disabilities in order to ensure their rights and interests.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in an instruction on Friday, congratulating the 200 newly honored role models with disabilities, as well as 200 outstanding units and 60 exceptional individuals supporting disability services.

The national role models with disabilities and exemplary units and individuals were honored at a ceremony in Beijing on Friday, to commemorate the upcoming 35th national day of assisting persons with disabilities, which falls on Sunday this year.

Xi stressed in the instruction that Party committees and governments at all levels should prioritize work related to disability affairs, continuously improve the quality of related public services, and actively create a good atmosphere and environment in society for understanding, respecting, caring for and assisting people with disabilities.

He said in the instruction that federations for persons with disabilities and workers engaged in disability affairs should keep enhancing their ability to serve people with disabilities and strive to become trustworthy and reliable confidants and caregivers for these people.

He encouraged people with disabilities to draw inspiration from role models, conquer difficulties and challenges, pursue their dreams and make contributions to building a strong nation and realizing national rejuvenation.

Chen Guiping, 48, a grassroots doctor from Xinxu, a village in Jiangxi province, was among the 200 newly honored role models. He said that he was very excited and proud to receive the honor. "It was my first time stepping into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The honor is the highest recognition of my work," he said.

He lost his right forearm in a fire accident when he was 3 years old. "My way to becoming a doctor was not easy, but I never had the idea of giving up," he said.

Serving as a grassroots doctor in the village since 1996, Chen Guiping said that gaining the honor was a new start, and he will remain true to his original aspiration and continue serving the villagers.

Chen Liangjie, 39, was diagnosed with congenital hearing loss soon after his birth. He has won championships at several national and world skills competitions with his outstanding computing and typing skills.

Now working as an executive in a packaging materials company in Pinghu, Zhejiang province, he said that the company currently has about 120 employees with disabilities, among whom more than 30 are hearing impaired.

Chen Liangjie said he has helped to train 10 colleagues with disabilities to obtain national skills certificates in recent years, stressing that people with disabilities, like himself, can secure jobs requiring skills and become skills masters.

"Every person can win him or her a wonderful life as long as they are down-to-earth," he said.

chengsi@chinadaily.com.cn