A senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) asked Chinese theory researchers to be more innovative and study ways to adapt the Party's theories and work to the times.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks in a symposium on the life and thoughts of late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, that ended here Tuesday.

"Deng Xiaoping Theory has inherited Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought and developed on that basis," said Li. "He summed up new experience, put forward new thoughts and created new theories according to China's reality and the latest development of the world."

He asked researchers of Deng Xiaoping Theory to learn from Deng Xiaoping's correct attitude towards Marxism and his boldness to open up new theoretical areas and study ways to adapt the Party's theories and work to the times.

He asked theory researchers to "liberate themselves from untimely concepts, practices and systems" and better answer new problems confronting China's social and economic development.

Li said Deng Xiaoping Theory, which guided the formulation of the Party's basic line in the primary stage of socialism, and the important thought of "Three Represents" formulated by Jiang Zemin and other contemporary CPC members both correctly take into account of the development of the times. Both are guiding ideologies that the Party shall adhere to for a long time.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the symposium Saturday, Li also put forward other guidelines for the research of Deng Xiaoping Theory.

These include:

-- deepen understanding of socialism with Chinese characteristics and study ways of improving socialist construction and Party building.

-- deepen understanding of the scientific concept of development and study ways of pushing forward healthy economic growth and all-round social development.

-- deepen understanding of the requirement that "the Party is built for the public and it exercises state power for the people".

-- deepen understanding of the needs and ways to strengthen the Party's governing ability.

-- deepen understanding of "consolidating the guiding role of Marxism in the ideological sphere and consolidating the common ideological ground for the unity of the whole Party and the whole people".

Li said research of Marxism, of which research of Deng Xiaoping Theory is an important part, is a major strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee. It constitutes the foremost task of the efforts to invigorate and develop China's philosophy and social sciences and the core of the Party's ideological building.

(Xinhua News Agency August 24, 2004)