Xi hails publishing house on anniversary

Press praised for promoting development of Marxism in light of nation's conditions

President Xi Jinping has called on the country's leading State press, People's Publishing House, to make greater contributions to promoting cultural prosperity and building China into a socialist cultural powerhouse.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remark on Tuesday in a congratulatory message on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the publishing house, which is the biggest and the most authoritative publisher of political books in China.

As the first publisher created by the CPC in September 1921, the publishing house was rebuilt in December 1950 after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. It has been operating continuously since then. Its publishing mainly covers classical works and popular books of Marxism, the significant documents of the Party and the government, important works by top politicians and the finest academic works of philosophy and social sciences.

Xi commended the achievements the publishing house has made over the past century, saying it has made significant contributions to promoting the development of Marxism in light of China's conditions and in keeping abreast of the times.

It has also helped spread the Party's innovative theories and made socialist culture become more prosperous, he added.

Xi urged the publishing house to continue to carry on the revolutionary spirit, always follow the development pace of socialism with Chinese characteristics and focus on public communication of Marxism and the Party's innovative theories.

He underlined the need for the publishing house to uphold the philosophy of publishing books of good quality for the people with an emphasis on presenting the development process of the Party and the State as well as enhancing people's intellectual and cultural life.

Xi also asked the publishing house to pursue high-quality development and strive to intensify reform and innovation in order to promote the development and prosperity of socialist culture.

Speaking at a symposium in Beijing on Tuesday to mark the anniversary, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, urged the publishing house to carry forward its glorious tradition and be innovative in pursuing the high-quality development of the publishing sector and promoting cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and foreign countries.