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BEIJING, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday asked the Communist Party of China (CPC) members to place the study of the recently published selection of works by his predecessor Hu Jintao in an important position.

Chinese PresidentXi Jinping(C, rear) and other senior leadersLi Keqiang(3rd R, rear),Zhang Dejiang(3rd L, rear),Yu Zhengsheng(2nd R, rear),Liu Yunshan(2nd L, rear),Wang Qishan(1st R, rear) andZhang Gaoli(1st L, rear) attend a study session of the selection of works byHu Jintao, former general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2016. The study session was held by the CPC Central Committee.(Xinhua/Wang Ye)

Reading Hu's selected works should be an important part of the Party's political building and theoretical training of Party members and officials at the moment, said Xi, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, during a CPC Central Committee meeting on the matter.

Premier Li Keqiang presided over the meeting, attended by other senior leaders including Zhang Dejiang, Yu Zhengsheng, Liu Yunshan, Wang Qishan and Zhang Gaoli.

Liu read a decision by the CPC Central Committee on studying Hu's selected works, which asked all Party members to fully recognize the significance and necessity of reading the works and strive to grasp its essence.

Like the selected works of former CPC leaders Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin, Hu's works offer "a set of important and systematic teaching materials" for summarizing the practices and successful experiences of the Chinese people under the CPC leadership, Xi said.

The publication is important for firming up the belief of all Party members and Chinese people of all ethnic groups to march forward along the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics, Xi added.

He called on Party committees at various levels to organize studies to ensure Party members improve their performance through the process.

The publication by the People's Publishing House, consists of three volumes and collects 242 selected works by Hu dating from June 1988 to November 2012.

Xi said Hu's selected works have recorded the historical process during which the Party's Central Committee with Hu as general secretary has upheld and developed socialism with Chinese characteristics, and represent a major theoretical achievement in integrating the basic principles of Marxism with the actual conditions of contemporary China and the features of the times.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, speaks during a study session of the selection of works by Hu Jintao, former general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 29, 2016. The study session was held by the CPC Central Committee. (Xinhua/Lan Hongguang)

Xi stressed that between 2002 to 2012, the Party's Central Committee with Hu as general secretary has laid solid foundation for building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way and enhanced the socialism with Chinese characteristics into a new development stage.

Xi said like Mao Zedong Thought, Deng Xiaoping Theory, the Important Thought of Three Represents, the Scientific Outlook on Development is also an important part of the Party's guiding ideology and must be upheld and implemented in a long run.

He called for advancing reforms in all fields with greater courage and wisdom, targeting on improving the socialist system with Chinese characteristics and modernizing the state governance system and governance capability.

We must focus on improving the Party's governance capacity and maintaining the Party's progressive nature to resolve various problems facing the Party, Xi said.

The Party must never stop seeking the truth and achieving innovation in theories and practice to cope with the changing world and times, according to Xi.

Speaking at the meeting, Premier Li asked various authorities to attach great importance to studying Hu's selected works, grasp the "connotation, essence and requirements" of the Scientific Outlook on Development and earnestly apply the new development concept.

Senior Party officials, officials from the top legislature, national political advisory body, judicial system and the military, leading officials of central authorities and Beijing city, as well as representatives of China's non-communist parties attended the meeting.