1st LD: CPC holds symposium to commemorate Hu Yaobang

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee held a symposium to commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of Hu Yaobang on Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Leaders Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli, attended the symposium.

Xi spoke about Hu's great and glorious achievements, saying that Hu had made outstanding contributions to the national independence and liberation, socialist revolution and construction, exploration and creation of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Hu was extolled as a loyal communist soldier, great proletarian revolutionist and statesman, outstanding political worker of the military and prominent leader of the Party.

He devoted all his life to the Party and the people, Xi said.

"To commemorate Hu Yaobang is to learn from his noble character, which was based on keeping the faith and being dedicated," said Xi.

"The highest ideal is communism," Xi quoted Hu as saying. He asked all CPC members to have similar firm faith and ideals, and be more confident in Chinese socialist roads, theories and systems.

To commemorate Hu is to learn his devotion to the people, the president said, urging CPC members to formulate policies according to the people's expectations.

In commemorating Hu, we should also learn from his "spirit to always seek truth from facts and to blaze new trails," Xi said.

Hu stressed that CPC members must regard "seeking truths from facts" as a basic requirement, and attempts to abandon this will result in setbacks, Xi quoted.

All Party members must uphold the principle of freeing their mind, seeking truth from facts, keeping pace with time and being down to earth, Xi required.

Xi called on all party members to stay true to their integrity, to promote a clean political environment and social ethics, and to win the trust and support of the general public with down-to-earth efforts. Endi