A senior member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau has called for greater efforts in the ideological and ethical education of the nation's youth.

Li Changchun made the call as he presided over a conference on ideological and ethical building of the country's young people at the weekend.

Delegates heard reports on the implementation of two documents on ideological work on young people and university students, which were jointly issued by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council in 2004.

In a key-note speech, Li called for further implementation of the instructions, saying local authorities had seriously implemented the two documents since 2004.

"The ill social and cultural environment has been corrected in an initial manner," Li said.

However, the strengthening and improvement of the ideological and ethical youth education was a major and long-term strategy of the CPC Central Committee.

He called for joint efforts by all circles to accomplish the task.

The authorities would create a healthy internet environment for young Chinese by stepping up supervision and control of on-line activities. Meanwhile, efforts would be made to care for young rural people and strengthen the management of the cultural market in the countryside.

Present at the meeting were Liu Yunshan, member of both the Political Bureau and Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and State Councilor Chen Zhili.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2006)