(6) We must link the effort to develop social productive forces with the effort to improve the cultural and ethical quality of the whole nation, pursuing coordinated development of material and spiritual civilization, and promote the vigorous development and prosperity of culture more conscientiously and actively.

In the past 30 years, we have focused our efforts on not only the development of social productive forces but also the improvement of the cultural quality of the whole nation, attached equal importance to both material and spiritual civilization, and run the country by combining the rule of law with the rule of virtue. We have persevered in arming the people with scientific theories, guiding the people with correct public opinions, molding the people with noble minds and inspiring the people with superior works, redoubled our efforts to nurture citizens with lofty ideals, moral integrity, better education and a strong sense of discipline, consistently raised the ideological and ethical standards and scientific and educational levels of the whole nation, provided a powerful ideological driving force and strong intellectual support for reform, opening up and socialist modernization, and created sound public opinion.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is an endeavor for development and progress in all areas, which features mutual supplementation and harmonious development of material and spiritual civilization. Neither material nor spiritual poverty is the definition of socialism. The intrinsic quality of the people is produced by, and impacts on, history. We will never sacrifice spiritual civilization for short-term economic development. We have incorporated socialist core values into all stages of national education and the entire process of cultural and ethical progress, persistently armed the whole Party with and educated the people in the latest achievements in adapting Marxism to Chinese conditions, rallied the people with our common ideal of socialism with Chinese characteristics, inspired the people with patriotism-centered national spirit and with the spirit of the times centering on reform and innovation, guided social ethos with the basic sense of "eight honors and eight disgraces" and solidified the common ideological basis of the joint endeavor of the whole Party and the people of all ethnic groups. We have actively explored effective ways of letting the system of socialist core values guide trends of thought and take the initiative in ideological work, respecting divergence and allowing diversity while effectively resisting the influence of erroneous and decadent ideas. We have energetically developed a national, scientific and popular socialist culture geared to the needs of modernization, of the world and of the future, while maintaining close contact with reality, life and the public. We have deepened cultural restructuring, encouraged cultural innovation, and stimulated the cultural creativity of the whole nation. We have enhanced culture as part of the soft power of our country, promoted vigorous development of cultural programs and the cultural industry, created a thriving cultural market, and better guaranteed the people's basic cultural rights and interests. We must keep to the orientation of advanced socialist culture, bring about a new surge in socialist cultural development, and create cultural works in the great practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, so as to ensure the people share in the benefits of cultural development, enrich cultural life in Chinese society and inspire the enthusiasm of the people for progress.