Chinese President Xi Jinping talks with young people before he delivers a speech at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, May 4, 2013. [Photo / Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping on Saturday encouraged young Chinese people to dare to dream, work assiduously to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the revitalization of the nation.

He said the young generation with firm will, strong sense of responsibility and great professional competence is the hope of realizing the "Chinese dream."

Xi made the remarks during a discussion with a group of outstanding young people from all walks of life, including space technology engineers, agricultural researcher and electric welder, to mark the country's Youth Day on Saturday.

The "Chinese dream" is a much-discussed concept that has been brought to prominence by Xi. It is widely understood to mean the renewal of the Chinese nation.

"Young people should be optimistic and tenacious when facing adversities," Xi said, asking them to remain steadfast in their faith, refine their professional skills, embrace innovation, work hard and build noble characters.

When visiting the China Academy of Space Technology, where the meeting was held, Xi said the nation places great hope for the youth in achieving scientific and technological innovation.

He said young scientists have played a backbone role in China's lunar probe program, unmanned and manned space craft and satellite technology.

"A nation will be prosperous if its young generation is ambitious and reliable," said Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

He expected the young generation to make great accomplishment, and encouraged them to work at the grassroots and the front line in order to hone their skills and enhance abilities required in their career.

"Young people should emancipate the mind, advance with the times, forge ahead and innovate so as to gather experience and make achievements," he said.

He asked all levels of Party committees and the government to create favorable conditions for young people's career development.

This has been the first time for the new Chinese leadership to elaborate the relationship between the youths and the "Chinese dream."

In the course of pursuing the road to modernization in China during the past century, young people have always been an important force of realizing social transformation and national rejuvenation, said Zheng Changzhong, a scholar with the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University.

In an information era, China's development needs the youth to be more united with consensus. The "Chinese dream" concept should be able to play a role of a banner to inspire young people to strive for a better life and a stronger nation, Zheng said.

Also on Thursday, Xi told Peking University students to make contribution "with pioneer spirits."

The Chinese dream is a dream of the nation and every Chinese including young people, Xi wrote in a letter to students of archaeology and museology major whom he met at the university last year.

"Only by integrating individual dreams to the national cause can one finally make great achievement," he said.

Xi said he expected young people to "cherish the glorious youth, strive with pioneer spirit and contribute their wisdom and energy to the realization of the Chinese dream."

Echoing Xi's remarks, Vice President Li Yuanchao on Saturday said young people should never stop learning or making contributions.

He told a group of outstanding young people in Beijing to grasp great opportunities from China's development to achieve progress in their own careers.

The Chinese Youth Day was established in December 1949 to commemorate the beginning of the May 4th Movement in 1919, a student protest that grew out of dissatisfaction with the Treaty of Versailles settlement. It is regarded by China as a patriotic movement against imperialism and feudalism.