Chinese Vice-President Zeng Qinghong has called on local officials to maintain the advanced nature of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and to build a harmonious society.

Zeng, who is also member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, was speaking during a visit to east China's Zhejiang Province from April 1 to 5.

He praised the achievements of the provincial government and the provincial committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in recent years and discussed with local officials the building of the socialist new countryside.

Zeng made inspection tours of the cities of Taizhou, Ningbo, Hangzhou and Jiaxing, and visited businesses, rural and urban communities, high-tech development zones and ports.

He called for a vigorous education campaign in rural CPC committees on maintaining the CPC's advanced nature with a priority on the new countryside construction.

"All Party members should carefully study the Party constitution and the 'eight honors and eight disgraces' during the education campaign," Zeng said.

(Xinhua News Agency April 6, 2006)