Rejuvenation dream inspires Chinese

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Thirty years ago, Li Bin, a technical school graduate, began work as an apprentice in a hydraulic pump manufacturing factory in Shanghai, aiming to become skilled worker.

Through hard work and dedication, Li has become chief technician of Shanghai Electric Group Co. Ltd, one of the country's largest diversified equipment manufacturing companies.

"Chinese workers are no longer simple laborers with mere strength. They are turning into industrial workers with knowledge, skills and wisdom," said Li, a deputy of the 12th National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature.

According to Li, to build a strong nation needs industrial competitiveness throughout the world, which inspires him. He found further inspiration from the government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jiabao at the ongoing annual session of the NPC on Tuesday.

Wen said with added-value growing at an average annual rate of 13.4 percent during the past five years, high-tech manufacturing has become a leading pillar of the economy.

The progress within the high-tech manufacturing sector is allowing people to reach their dreams.

The catchword "Chinese dream" has encouraged individual Chinese people from all walks of life to contribute to the national goal. Top leader Xi Jinping interpreted the "Chinese dream" as the great rejuvenation of the nation in November.

After more than 30 years of rapid development along with reform and opening up, Chinese people believe they are closer to realizing the great national dream, which was initially put forward about a century ago.

But there is still some way to go.

"China's hydraulic equipment production needs more technological innovations. Only when the overall industrial technological strength reaches advanced levels can our country's precision machinery industry be first class in the world," said Li.

What makes Chinese people feel proud is the country's manned space program. China successfully sent Yang Liwei, the country's first astronaut, into orbit on Shenzhou-5 spacecraft in 2003.

The successes in the manned space program in recent years have inspired Chinese people to devote themselves to the nation's rejuvenation.

Lei Yi'an, a second-year postgraduate at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, was excited when hearing that the country's new spacecraft will be launched sometime between June and August.

The 24-year-old appreciates the hardworking spirit and successes of the country's first generation researchers in this area, who worked under poor conditions.

Lei spends eight hours a day in his lab. But he expressed worries that many college students have no career ambitions in today's commercial society, instead just focusing on well-paid jobs.

"Current scientists should promote the dedication virtues of the old generation, especially when we have enough financial support through the country's development," he said.

The central government spent 872.9 billion yuan (about 139 billion U.S. dollars) to develop science and technology in the past five years, with an average annual increase of over 18 percent.

China's R&D spending accounted for 1.97 percent of GDP in 2012, up from 1.4 percent in 2007, according to the government work report. The country's plan is to increase the rate to 2.05 percent this year.

China has adopted the strategy for making itself strong through the development of science and education and boosting the country's core ability to sustain economic and social development.

"I think we should progressively improve our scientific research mechanisms and cultivate innovative thinking of citizens from childhood," said Lei, who will graduate at the end of the year and wants to find a job in a research institute.

Rejuvination in the country cannot take place without farmers also realizing their dreams.

Reform is also taking place in the country's vast countryside, where tens of millions of farmers have moved to cities for work, mainly in construction and manufacturing sectors.

"The realization of the 'Chinese dream' surely needs an overall well-off life for our farmers and a stable supply of agricultural products," said Yan Deyou, a farmer in Xiaogang Village in eastern Anhui Province. ' The village is known for its earliest reform in 1978 in which rural collectives distributed land-use rights to households through contracts of 30-years "household management." The move boosted grain supply significantly.

Currently, land transfers are under way in rural areas to pave the way for large-scale farming. Fragmented production, in which each farmer household is entitled to one or several small land plots, has caused bottlenecks to rural productivity, given the migration of farmers to cities and urbanization.

"Reform in agriculture is necessary in the new era," said Yan.

The country will gradually establish a new type of system of intensive agricultural operations that are specialized, well organized and commercialized, according to the government plan.

"Everyone has his own dream to pursue. The down-to-earth efforts of everyone will help jointly build the solid ladder to national rejuvenation," said chief technician Li Bin. (Xinhua Correspondent Ding Jing contributes to the story)