SHANGHAI - Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged society to create favorable conditions to support youth entrepreneurship.

The call was made in a letter sent by the president to congratulate the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Week China on its opening in Shanghai.

Xi expressed his greetings to the young entrepreneurs for their entrepreneurial courage in the letter, saying that the nation's future lies in the youth, innovation serves as the soul for social advancement, and starting a business plays an important role in boosting social and economic development.

He called on the youth to study hard and forge ahead in a determined yet down-to-earth manner in order to make full use of their intelligence and better serve society.

Xi added that the event is helpful for the youth to inspire their entrepreneurial ideas and start businesses.

The Global Entrepreneurship Week, dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship globally, has attracted the participation of 138 countries.

China has hosted six such events since 2007.