President Xi Jinping has emphasized the need for China to step up the independent training of engineering talent and keep elevating the social status of engineers, as part of broader efforts to develop new productive forces and ensure a high level of self-reliance in science and technology.

The instructions from Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, were delivered during the National Engineer Awards ceremony in Beijing on Friday.

It was the first time for China to confer such awards, the nation's highest honor in the field of engineering.

In the instructions, Xi said engineers are a key force driving technological advancements for the benefit of humanity and shaping the future, adding that they are a crucial part of the national strategic talent pool.

The president stressed the importance of creating conditions for the success of engineers and fostering an atmosphere enabling them to improve themselves, work hard, overcome challenges and forge ahead with innovation.

The nation must expedite efforts to develop a large team of high-caliber engineers, he added.

He encouraged China's engineers to boldly work toward breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields, develop high-quality engineering projects and serve the nation's high-quality growth.

At Friday's awards ceremony, 81 individuals were conferred the title of National Outstanding Engineer, and 50 teams were awarded the title of National Outstanding Engineering Team.

Han Jiatong, an engineer from a vocational school in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, said that Xi's instructions pointed the way for the development of China's engineering technology sector.

"It also shored up our resolve and confidence to keep up our efforts to scale new heights in science and technology," he said.

Su Quanke, a professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the chief engineer of the main works of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, expressed confidence in the prospects for the development of engineering in China.

He said that the nation's development has offered him and his peers a key platform to succeed.

"When I was at university in the 1980s, engineers wanted to build bridges and roads, but there was a lack of supporting equipment, materials, technology and workers."

"Now the country's construction capabilities have developed, providing the foundation for engineers like us to make achievements such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge," he said.

He added that China is already a world leader in the field of infrastructure construction.

Xue Feng, the only architect among the 81 individual national outstanding engineers, said that architecture is meant to "serve the people".

"In each carefully crafted design, it is meant to make residents and users feel cared for, eliciting genuine smiles from within. That is what makes me proud of my work," he said.

Xue is now spearheading efforts to rebuild a village in Beijing's Mentougou district which was destroyed in last summer's floods.

He spends two days each week at the construction site, talking to the villagers, listening to their needs and explaining his designs to them.

"'Made in China' and 'built in China' have long been renowned worldwide, and now we are pursuing 'designed in China'. It should have Chinese characteristics as well as human warmth, so that through design, we can create a beautiful life and a better future," Xue said.

Contact the writers at xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn