Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has reiterated the importance of further deepening the implementation and study of the new concept of socialist morality raised by Chinese leader Hu Jintao.

The new socialist ethic view of President Hu Jintao, who is also General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, known as the "Eight Honors and Disgraces", is an organic integration of socialist morality and China's traditional ethics, said Li at Tuesday's meeting of the central direction committee on achieving socialist ethics and cultural progress.

It has set a fundamental criterion for the people of different ethnic groups, classes and interest groups under the circumstances of a socialist market economy, the official said.

According to the official, this year a series of programs including memorial activities to mark the Party's 85th birthday and the 70th anniversary of the success of the epic Long March in mid 1930s will be organized to advocate and build up the new concept of socialist morality among the people in China.

According to previous reports, the new concept of socialist morality was set forth by Chinese President and CPC General Secretary Hu Jintao in March, when he reminded the whole nation to maintain socialist morality with the so-called "Ba Rong, Ba Chi (Eight Honors and Disgraces)", which goes like a rhyming couplet and sounds almost poetic. -- Love the country; do it no harm. -- Serve the People; never betray them. -- Follow science; discard superstition. -- Be diligent; not indolent. -- Be united, help each other; make no gains at other's expense. -- Be honest and trustworthy; do not sacrifice ethics for profit. -- Be disciplined and law-abiding; not chaotic and lawless. -- Live plainly, work hard; do not wallow in luxuries and pleasures.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2006)