General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and Chinese President Jiang Zemin has instructed the Party's top publicity department to pay more attention to ideological work and cultural and ethical progress.

"Ideological work and the promotion of cultural and ethical progress is crucial to the overall situation for building a socialist country with Chinese characteristics," he said in written comments on a work report submitted by the CPC Central Publicity Department.

"The more we deepen reform and develop the socialist market economy, the more attention we should pay to these aspects," Jiang said, adding that such remarks must be frequently repeated to the entire Party, and especially to leading officials.

Jiang pointed out in his "instructions" that the CPC Central Committee is satisfied with the publicity and media work in 1999 for their coverage of the National Day Celebrations, the Macao handover, and the media campaigns in three major political struggles.

Jiang also praised the country's publicity and media work in recent years for providing correct ideological guidance for the people.

He said that Party leaders at all levels should effectively step up efforts to accomplish good ideological work and promote cultural and ethical progress along with fulfilling economic tasks.

Publicity and media work should further educate people about Deng Xiaoping Theory and the fundamental principles of the Party, and fight against superstition and heresies, as well as explore new ways for doing the job better, Jiang said.

The CPC Central Committee's publicity and cultural departments held a meeting Monday to convey and deliberate on Jiang's instruction.

All participants at the meeting vowed to observe the spirit of the instruction and put more effort into their work in order to provide ideological and media support to the promotion of China's reform and the maintenance of social stability.

Ding Guangen, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the CPC Publicity Department, presided over the meeting, and said that Jiang's instruction is of vital importance for the guidance of China's cross-century publicity work.

He urged publicity departments at all levels to adhere to the " three emphases" on education, namely, emphasis on theoretical study, political awareness, and good conduct, hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory and firmly keep in line with the CPC Central Committee with Jiang Zemin at the core to better serve the people and the country's as a whole.