Chinese President Hu Jintao said in Beijing Saturday the perfect success of the Shenzhou VI mission is another important contribution by the Chinese people to the peaceful utilizing of outer space and will help drive up the Chinese nation's spirit.

Hu made the remarks at a grand gathering at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the success of the Shenzhou VI manned space mission, which was the country's first ever multi-person and multi-day manned space mission that proved to be perfectly successful

During the gathering, attended by more than 3,000, taikonaut Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng were awarded the title of "Hero taikonaut" and given medals for the achievements in the country's landmark Shenzhou VI manned space mission.

"The successful manned mission of Shenzhou VI has

displayed the great creativity spirit and excellent innovation capability of the Chinese nation," said Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. Wen said the success is of great significance in enhancing China's overall national strength, accelerating the development of China's science and technology and bracing the spirit of the Chinese nation.

Chinese President Hu Jintao awarded metals and achievement certificates to the two taikonauts.

"The fact that China had realized the great jump from one-person-one-day space flight to multi-person-multi-day space mission within two years has marked a new landmark victory in China's manned space technology," said Hu Jintao.

Before Shenzhou VI, China successfully blast off a Shenzhou V two years earlier, which marked the country's first ever step into the outer space.

Hu said China's manned spaceflight engineering have reached the advanced level of the world and a set of scientific management theories and practices have also been formed to confirm with the actual conditions of China's manned spaceflight undertakings.

Hu also urged the Chinese nation to learn from aerospace workers at the meeting.

Aerospace workers have cultivated a spirit of "being especially capable of bearing hardships, fighting, tackling key problems and making contributions" since China's manned space flight program was initiated 13 years ago, Hu said.

Hu praised the workers for their love of the motherland, sense of team work and quality of not seeking fame and wealth.

The spirit should be carried forward when we are endeavoring to build a well-off society and pressing ahead with socialist modernization, the president said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2005)