China should develop vocational education to upgrade its economy and improve its people’s lives, Vice-Premier Liu Yandong said at the closing ceremony of a national competition of vocational school students in Tianjin on July 4.

More than 5 million students took part in the competition. More than 10,000 of them made it into the final.

China’s vocational education has been developing rapidly, contributing a lot of talent and creating many jobs. The national competition is a showcase of the progress the country’s vocational education has made, Liu said.

The country should lend more support to vocational education, encourage the public to value it, respect people who are mastering good vocational skills and pay them well, she said.

Also, vocational schools should strengthen their cooperation with enterprises, and the country should strengthen its support to develop vocational education in remote and impoverished regions, she added.