Chinese President Xi Jinping has encouraged working people from all walks of life to be diligent in creation, brave in struggle, and carry on the social ethos of honoring labor, valuing skills, and unleashing creativity, highlighting the significance of hard work for wealth, happiness and success.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, extended festive greetings and best wishes to the country's working people on Tuesday, ahead of International Workers' Day, which falls on May 1.

He has always been concerned about the vast number of workers, praising labor and creativity on many occasions, and extolling the spirit of model workers, the spirit of labor, and the spirit of craftsmanship, while stressing that labor is the source of wealth and happiness.

To show his great respect for those who work hard, Xi has interacted with model workers in different ways ahead of International Workers' Day in recent years.

In April 2013, Xi talked with national model workers at the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

"People's beautiful dreams can be realized only through honest labor; all the difficulties that arise in the course of development can be solved only through honest labor; and everything in life that is glorious can be cast only through honest labor," Xi said.

Xi also has frequently visited frontline workers and engaged in heartfelt exchanges with them, leaving his footprints from communities to farmlands and factories. He has hailed the working people for their contribution to China's development, advocated the spirit of hard work, and encouraged workers to have more brilliant achievements.

"The edifice of our Republic is constructed brick by brick. China can do it! China will surely be capable of doing it! What is the foundation for it? It's you. The people are real heroes. Socialism is built through hard work," Xi said while attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Daxing International Airport in 2019.

In April 2015, Xi attended the awards ceremony of national model workers in Beijing and delivered a speech, saying that all of society should be proud of working hard and be ashamed of idleness.

"The Chinese are known as a hardworking and inventive people. Just as work and creations were responsible for the glorious achievements of our past, they have also been responsible for everything we have achieved today," he said.

In his 2026 New Year message, Xi praised the dedication and perseverance of the people, saying their hard work has helped build a thriving China.

"Your unwavering hard work has made our nation thrive and prosper. I salute you all for your exceptional diligence and invaluable contributions," Xi said.