Hu Jintao, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has urged the CPC's ideological publicity workers to meet the requirements of the new situation and tasks as the country is advancing toward the goal of building an overall well-off society.

Hu called for upholding Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents", which says the Party always represents the requirements for the development of the most advanced productivity, the direction for the advancement of the advanced culture, and the fundamental interests of the overwhelming majority of the people in China.

Hu made these remarks in a keynote speech at a national conference on the work of ideological publicity, which was held in Beijing between December 5-7 and was attended by Wen Jiabao, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng and Li Changchun. Li, who is in charge of the Party's ideological work, also addressed the meeting.

To make substantial improvements in the Party's ideological publicity work requires sustaining and consolidating the status of Marxism as the guideline for the ideological field, building an overall well-off society, promoting socialist material civilization, political civilization and ethnic and cultural progress, and strengthening the Party's capabilities of ruling, the general secretary said.

Hu spoke highly of the achievements and experience of the Party since the Fourth Session of the 14th CPC Central Committee, saying that these achievements and experiences are of long-term significance for guiding the ideological work in the future.

While persisting with Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of "Three Represents " as the guides, great efforts should be made to promote theoretical innovation, he noted.

The Party leader said that in the future, the ideological publicity work should be focused on educating the whole Party and the people with the important thought of "Three Represents"; serving the general goals of reform, development and stability; displaying and fostering the national spirit; accomplishing the ideological and political work; developing the cultural work and a cultural industry; and making it a strategic task to strengthen and improve the publicity work for the overseas audience.

Hu called for ideological emancipation, seeking truth from facts, and keeping pace with the changes of the times, in the field of ideological publicity work. The Party's leadership for the ideological publicity sector must be firmly adhered to, he stressed.

The reform in the cultural sector should be carried out to meet the demands for developing a socialist market economy and the new situation after China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to the Party general secretary.

Liu Yunshan, director of the CPC Central Committee's Publicity Department spoke at the meeting to sum up this year's work and set targets for next year.

(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2003)