China called upon all the citizens on Saturday to improve their professional ethics and adopt good manners to create a sound social environment for the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games.

Local governments, especially those of the host and co-host cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang and Qingdao should step up their efforts in promoting civilized manners and social volunteering, according to the Publicity Department and the Office of the Spiritual Civilization Development Steering Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

They should also improve public orders, and both urban and rural environment, the two organizations said at a national meeting in Beijing Saturday.

A series of activities, which include a publicity campaign for social volunteering, a knowledge contest for promoting good manners, public-interest advertisement and finding role models of good ethics, were already launched successfully, according to the meeting.

The two organizations also called for more training courses of professional ethics for workers in service industry, and more efforts to make the urban and rural environment clean, green and safe.

(Xinhua News Agency July 5, 2008)