General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao Tuesday urged adherence to the orientation of advanced culture while promoting socialist material, cultural and political progress.

Hu spoke at the seventh group study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Tuesday morning in Beijing, which focused on the development of cultural industry strategies.

Hu said vigorously developing socialist culture and ethics was important for the implementation of the important thought of "Three Represents", building a Xiaokang (moderate prosperity) society, coordinated social and economic development, and the all-round development of human beings and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

He said that in view of the interaction of various ideologies and cultures in today's world, the CPC must do better to rally the aspirations and power of the whole nation around the goal of building a Xiaokang society.

This called for energetically strengthening socialist cultural undertakings with Chinese characteristics, which would provide steady ideological guarantees and moral support to China's reform, opening up, and modernization, said Hu.

He said that in developing socialist culture with Chinese characteristics, all effort must go toward the orientation of advanced culture.

The fundamental requirements were to stick to the guiding role of Marxism-Leninism, Mao Zedong Thought and Deng Xiaoping Theory in the ideological fields and making the important thought of the "Three Represents" the commanding principle in socialist cultural undertakings, he said.

He urged keeping the right direction and putting sound social effects first in all cultural undertakings and businesses and strive to harmonize their social effects and economic results.

Hu called on energetically carrying forward the fine traditions of Chinese culture and the great spirits of the Chinese nation, which he said would provide strong moral support for the steady progress of the nation.

He said that meanwhile, China should draw upon the beneficial achievements of foreign cultures to promote development and prosperity of cultural undertakings in China.

He cautioned against simply copying the development mode of foreign countries in cultural undertakings and the erosion of people's minds by various decadent or corrupt cultural thoughts.

Hu called on Party organizations at all levels to provide more support to cultural undertakings and encourage Chinese artists and people involved in cultural undertakings to produce quality products to serve the people, socialism and the overall work of the Party and the nation.

(Xinhua News Agency August 13, 2003)