BEIJING, May 31 (Xinhua) -- An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on accelerating the building of China into a leading country in education will be published on Sunday.

The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year's 11th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee.

The article emphasizes that education serves as the cornerstone for building a strong country and realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, highlighting the strategic objective of establishing China as a leading country in education by 2035.

It urged steadfast efforts to carry out the fundamental task of fostering virtue through education, strengthening the supporting role of education in scientific and technological advancement and talent cultivation, and enhancing the quality of public education services and implementing a national education digitization strategy.

While emphasizing the importance of nurturing high-caliber teachers in the new era, the article also urges efforts to ensure teachers enjoy esteemed social recognition and be regarded as one of the most respected professions in society.

With an aim to build the country into a key education hub with global influence, the article calls for opening the education field wider to the outside world and continuously strengthening its influence, competitiveness, and voice on the world stage.

The article calls for optimizing the layout of higher education and building a contingent of personnel with expertise of strategic importance. ■