China promotes core socialist values

BEIJING - The Communist Party of China (CPC) on Monday issued guidelines bolstering core socialist values and pooling positive energy to realize the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation.

Core socialist values should be included in the overall national education plan and "cover all schools and those receiving education", said the guidelines on cultivating and practicing core socialist values, issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee.

According to the guidelines, core socialist values include national goals of prosperity, democracy, civility, and harmony; social goals of freedom, equality, justice and the rule of law; and individual values of patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendship.

"Core socialist values should be incorporated into the curriculum and classrooms and made a way of thinking for students, " the document said.

"The media must steadfastly uphold correct guidance of public opinion," the guidelines said.

"Management of the media should be strengthened and the media should not provide channels for the spread of the wrong points of view," said the guidelines.

News, publishing institutions and their personnel were encouraged to strengthen self-discipline and enhance their sense of responsibility and their ability to promote core socialist values.

The circular asked radio and television stations to run more public service broadcasts spreading mainstream socialist values at prime time, and newspapers should give more prominence to such issues.

To cope with the fast development of the Internet, "efforts should be made to manifest core socialist values in Internet publicity, culture and service, so as to use a positive voice and advanced culture to capture the online front," the guidelines said.

The CPC authorities also ordered strengthened management of the Internet in accordance with the law and a fight against obscenity, online rumors and criminality to make the Internet environment clean.

Integrity should be enhanced in government, business, society and judicial fairness, and special projects on moral education should be carried out, according to the guidelines.

Various volunteer activities should be organized to promote the spirit of Lei Feng, a young Chinese soldier, known in the 1960s for devoting almost all of his spare time and money to selflessly helping the needy.

The national flag should be displayed and the national anthem played and sung on major occasions. More importance should be attached to traditional Chinese festivals.

More free public museums, memorial halls, libraries and science and technology museums are needed to promote core socialist values, the document said, adding that red tourism should be developed vigorously.

Party members and officials are urged to take the lead in practising the values.

China has made enormous economic strides over past years, but its soft power still needs to be strengthened, according to Xin Ming, a professor with the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, adding that core socialist values play a vital role in soft power.

"Cultivating and practising core socialist values should be incorporated into China's overall national education plan, enabling everyone to understand and uphold the values and practise them consciously," said Xie Chuntao, another professor with the Party School.

"People from various fields should be mobilized to foster and practise core socialist values," Xin said, adding that "only by doing so can we transfer the values into social group consciousness and conscious action."