XiJinping,generalsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyofChinaCentralCommittee,addressesaceremonyheldinBeijingtoawardtheJuly1MedaltooutstandingPartymembers.(Xinhua/DingLin)--Atotalof29CPCmemberswereawardedtheJuly1Medal.--Therecipientsallcomefromthepeopleandarerootedinthepeople,Xisaid.--XicalledonthePartytofollowtheexamplesetbytheawardees.--"Theneweraneedsheroesandcangivebirthtoheroes,"Xisaid.BEIJING,June29(Xinhua)--XiJinping,generalsecretaryoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)CentralCommittee,onTuesdayconferredtheJuly1Medal,theParty'shighesthonor,onmodelCPCmembers.Atotalof29CPCmemberswhohavemade"outstandingcontributionstothePartyandthepeople"receivedthehonor,someposthumously.ThisisthefirsttimethemedalhasbeenawardedastheCPCissettocelebrateitscentenaryonJuly1.Overthepast100years,theParty"haswrittenasplendidchapterinthehistoryoftheChinesenation'sdevelopmentandthatofhumanity'sprogress,"saidXi,alsoChinesepresidentandchairmanoftheCentralMilitaryCommission.IntheGreatHallofthePeople,Xidrapedthemedalsaroundthenecksoftherecipients,shooktheirhandsandcongratulatedthem.Xiaddressedtheattendeesafterpresentingthemedals.ROLEMODELSOverthepast100years,generationsofCPCmembershaveworkedhardandmadeselflesscontributionsinthepursuitofnationalindependenceandtheliberationofthepeople,aswellasinstrivingforaprosperousandstrongcountryandthepeople'swell-being,saidXi.NotingthattheawardeeshavebeenoutstandingrepresentativesofCPCmembersonallfronts,XisaidtheyembodyPartymembers'staunchfaith,fightinganddedicatedspirit,integrityanddevotion,andloyaltytotheParty'sfundamentaltenet--puttingthepeopleattheverycenteroftheirhearts,andwholeheartedlyservingthepeople.TomaintainstaunchfaithistostaytruetotheParty'soriginalaspirationanddedicateeverything,evenone'spreciouslife,tothecauseofthePartyandthepeople,saidXi.AllPartymembersshouldtrust,loveanddevotethemselvestotheParty,hesaid.XialsotoldCPCmemberstoworkdiligently,maintainhighmorale,tacklechallengesandcontinuethefinetraditionsofhardworkandplainliving,andtoputpublicinterestsabovepersonalinterests.TheceremonywaspresidedoverbyWangHuning,andattendedbyLiKeqiang,LiZhanshu,WangYang,ZhaoLejiandHanZheng--allmembersoftheStandingCommitteeofthePoliticalBureauoftheCPCCentralCommittee,aswellasVicePresidentWangQishan.WangHuningreadadecisionoftheCPCCentralCommitteeonconferringthemedals.MedalrecipientZhangGuimeiwavestochildrenuponherarrivalattheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijing,capitalofChina,June29,2021.(Xinhua/YueYuewei)EVERYDAYHEROESTherecipientsofthemedalsallcomefromthepeopleandarerootedinthepeople.Theyareeverydayheroeswhohavefulfilledtheirdutiesandmadecontributions,saidXi.TheyincludeaveteranoftheRedArmyandthosewhofoughtintheWarofLiberationandtheWartoResistU.S.AggressionandAidKorea.Theyalsoincludeavolunteerwhohasspentdecadesservinghercommunity,aUygurvillageofficialresolutelyfightingethnicseparatistactivities,awelder,aweaver,aveterandiplomatandapolicedetective.AbattalioncommanderwhosacrificedhislifedefendingtheChineseborder,aPartyofficialwhowassenttoavillagetofightpovertyanddiedonthefrontline,andawarherowhoworkedinobscurityafterretiringfromthemilitarywereawardedthehonorposthumously.ZhangGuimei,theprincipalofaseniorhighschoolthatoffersfreeeducationtogirlsfromimpoverishedfamilies,calledherselfan"ordinaryteacher"whenshedeliveredaspeechonbehalfofthehonoreesafterreceivinghermedal."ThehonorbelongstoeveryCPCmemberworkingondifferentfronts,"saidZhang."Whatwe'vedoneisjustwhatmanyCPCmembersaredoingeveryday."Accordingtofiguresreleasedlastyear,theCPChasmorethan91millionmembers.Agroupofchildren,whoaremembersoftheChineseYoungPioneers,presentflowerstorecipientsoftheJuly1MedalandsalutetothemattheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijing,capitalofChina,June29,2021.(Xinhua/GaoJie)XicalledonthePartytofollowtheexamplesetbytheawardees,sayingeveryCPCmembercanmakeaccomplishmentsforthePartyandthepeopleinthegreatcauseofnationalrejuvenation."Theneweraneedsheroesandcangivebirthtoheroes,"hesaid.Attheendofthespeech,XicalledonCPCmembersandofficialstoboldlyadvancetowardthesecondcentenarygoaloffullybuildingamodernsocialistcountry,aswellastheChineseDreamofnationalrejuvenation.Aftertheceremony,Xiandotherleaderstookagroupphotowiththemedalrecipients.Beforetheceremony,XiandotherleadersmetwithawardeesofthetitlesofoutstandingPartymembers,exemplaryPartyworkers,andadvancedcommunity-levelPartyorganizationsfromacrossthecountry,andtookagroupphotowiththem.ThemeetingonawardingthethreetitleswasheldMonday,whichwasattendedbyWangHuningandZhaoLeji.■