Chinese President Hu Jintao Friday urged Chinese artists and
writers to devote themselves to promoting "cultural harmony" as the
country strives to build a "socialist harmonious society".
"It is a solemn mission of Chinese artists and writers to
promote the prosperity of an advanced socialist culture and build
cultural harmony," Hu said in a speech at the opening ceremony of a
gathering of Chinese artists and literary workers.
Hu said artists and writers should remain closely connected with
the public so that their work can reflect people's concerns and
wishes.
He also encouraged them to "carry forward the spirit of
innovation" and explore new areas of art.
In his speech, the top leader said that art work is an important
component of the undertakings of the Party and the people, and it
enjoys a very important status in China's development.
Every progressive culture is originated from the people, serves
the people, and belongs to the people, Hu said. He urged Chinese
artists to love the people with true feelings, know the people in
real sense, and understand the people with sincerity, so that they
will work out excellent works that are welcomed by the people and
have profound impacts on the people.
Hu urged local Party organizations to give top priority to
cultural development, saying the strengthening and improvement of
the Party's leadership over the art work is an important part of
efforts to increase the Party's ruling capacity, Hu said.
He called on local Party organizations to build closer ties with
artists, provide them with political trust and warm support to
their artistic creation, take care of their concerns and try hard
to become their close friends.
The five-day meeting -- the 8th Congress of the China Federation
of Literary and Art Circles (CFLAC) and the 7th Congress of the
Chinese Writers Association (CWS)-- attracted more than 3,000
people including Chinese artists from China's mainland and Taiwan,
Hong Kong and Macao, and from abroad.
State leaders including Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Zeng Qinghong, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan attended the opening ceremony.
The CFLAC and the CWS, with 420,000 members and 7,700 members
respectively, are two leading organizations in China's art and
literary circles.
In upcoming days, participants of the two meetings will review
their work in the past five years, work out plans for the next five
years and elect their respective new leadership.
(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2006)
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