President Xi urges sound values for Chinese youth  

习近平：青年要自觉践行社会主义核心价值观

Chinese President Xi Jinping (C) attends a campus poetry recital marking the 95th anniversary of the May 4th Movement of 1919 at Peking University in Beijing, capital of China, May 4, 2014. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country's young people to study diligently, improve moral character, and hone their perspectives and honesty.

Xi made the remarks while visiting the prestigious Peking University on Sunday, China's Youth Day.

Xi extended greetings to Chinese young people of all ethnic groups on behalf of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and stressed that they must follow the core socialist values and promote them throughout society.

Sunday marked the anniversary of the May 4th Movement, a patriotic campaign that began at the university and was launched in 1919 by young Chinese students and intellectuals to fight imperialism and feudalism. It is regarded as a mark of the beginning of the new-democratic revolution in China.

"Pushing forward reform and development and realizing modernization requires the guidance of philosophy, the inspiration of history and the force of literature. Research in these fields should focus on people's spiritual worlds and social realities," Xi told students and staff on the campus.

According to Xi, contemporary academic research should shoulder the social responsibility to help people better understand themselves and the world while strengthening confidence and direction toward progress.

While visiting the Biodynamic Optical Imaging Center, which uses cutting-edge imaging and DNA sequencing technology for life science research, Xi urged scientists to make greater efforts to overcome obstacles and strive for innovation.

"With growing national power, we should have the confidence to unite efforts to do great things, and the crucial point is to use the best resources and let talents make full use of their knowledge," Xi said.

In addition to attending a poem-reciting session to mark the May 4th Movement, Xi attended a symposium with university staff and students

"Today's university students are loveable, trustworthy, precious and promising ... the best way for them to mark the May 4th Movement is to bravely walk on the frontline of the era as explorers, developers and dedicators under CPC guidance and shoulder the historical responsibilities together with Chinese people of all ethnic groups," Xi said.

Xi stressed that every era has its own spirit and values, and the core values of a nation must tally with its history and culture. Such values should also be combined with people's hard work and used to solve the issues of the time.

According to Xi, common values held by Chinese people of all ethnic groups are essential for the country's future and its people's well-being.

Core socialist values include the 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.

The president stressed that young people's values determine the values of the future society, and more efforts should be made to ensure young people's cultivation of sound value systems, which are still in the formation stage.

"Just like buttoning a coat. If the first button is done wrong, all others will be buttoned wrong," Xi said.

Xi urged young people to work hard, seek real knowledge, boost moral character and become adept at discerning right from wrong and making decisions.

Xi stressed that education reform should be deepened to build world-leading Chinese universities, urging various Party and government organizations to support the development of various universities and take good care of students.

Xi told teachers to set a moral example for students and inspire them to go further in their academic pursuits.