Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, an avid reader, encouraged citizens to read more and be studious and selective in their reading on World Reading Day, which fell on Thursday.

Wen made the remarks when visiting a branch of the Commercial Press and the National Library, both in downtown Beijing.

Books are the crystallization of human wisdom and reading is important in promoting an individual's accomplishments and state of mind, improving citizens' quality and strength, and shaping a country's future, he said.

He said the promotion of reading was significant amid an unprecedented global financial crisis.

Reading warmed people's hearts and boosted their confidence, he said.

He also advised readers to be selective, choosing books from insightful writers and those that were well-written, as well as those that had stood the test of time.

Wen is fond of reading and has often quoted Chinese poets and proverbs during press conferences.

(Xinhua News Agency April 23, 2009)