Senior Chinese leader Li Changchun called for strengthening the guidelines for the protection, excavation, management and utilization of cultural relics to improve the moral, scientific and cultural qualities of Chinese citizens.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks during his inspection tour to several cultural relics sites in Beijing this week.

Li said cultural relics are precious witnesses of China's long history and they are irreplaceable and valuable resources. They are an important part of Chinese culture and contribute to the diversity of world culture, he said. He said the government with the participation of society should work toward a healthy and sustainable development and protection of cultural relics in order to boost the entire culture sector.

The government should invest more and provide policies that attract private funding to support the protection of cultural relics.

He said in urban and rural construction, the protection of major cultural relics should be enhanced.

Li also called for attracting more professionals to enhance scientific research and to use modern technology in protecting and repair of cultural relics.

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2006)