President of China's official Xinhua News Agency was elected as the chairman of the All China Journalists Association.

Tian Congming was elected at the first meeting of the seventh council of the association which concluded in Beijing on Thursday.

President Hu Jintao has fully acknowledged the past work of the association and given his hope that the association will adhere to the right political direction and further bridge the media and the party and the government, Tian said at his closing speech of the meeting.

"The next five years is crucial period for our country to build a well-off society in an all-round way and a harmonious socialist society, a time of great opportunities for the association and news organizations to accomplish their work," he said.

The All-China Journalists Association represents more than 700,000 journalists in China.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called on news organizations to foster a sound ideological and public opinion environment for building a harmonious socialist society, earlier at the three-day meeting.