Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presides over a symposium attended by experts or representatives from China's education, culture, health and sports sectors in Beijing, capital of China, on Sept. 22, 2020. Xi made remarks at the symposium to solicit opinions on the economic and social development in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

BEIJING, Sept. 22  -- President Xi Jinping on Tuesday stressed promoting the development of China's education, culture, health and sports sectors to strengthen people's sense of fulfillment, happiness and security.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a symposium attended by experts and representatives from the sectors to solicit opinions on the economic and social development in the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025).

While presiding over the symposium, Xi said the Party and the state have attached great importance to the development of education, culture, health and sports sectors, and a series of strategic plans and arrangements have been made since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

Party committees and governments at all levels should better implement the plans and arrangements to foster a new generation capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation and to provide fresh impetus for and break new ground in various social sectors, he said.

Ten experts and representatives from those sectors spoke at the symposium, offering opinions and suggestions on educational reform and development, cultural inheritance and innovation, the training of health workers, and the drive to build China into a country strong on sports.

Xi exchanged ideas with each of the speakers before delivering an important speech, in which he praised the speakers for their valuable opinions and suggestions.

Calling education a fundamental task of the country and the Party, Xi said priority should be given to the development of education during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with efforts to cultivate talent for the Party and the country and to manage education to the satisfaction of the people.

Xi stressed the socialist orientation in running schools, noting that the fundamental mission of education is to cultivate virtues and morality and it should play a key role in fostering and practicing core socialist values.

Xi called for efforts to develop students' sense of patriotism, social responsibility, and innovation, as well as the ability to put ideas into practice.

Xi asked colleges to focus on the strategic needs of the country and accelerate their efforts to make breakthroughs in core technologies in key fields.

Socialism with Chinese characteristics is a great cause of all-round development and progress, Xi stressed, noting efforts are needed to build stronger cultural confidence, encourage creative transformation and development of Chinese traditional culture, and build China into a country with a strong socialist culture.

To overcome all kinds of risks and challenges in the way forward, culture is an important source of strength, Xi said.

He stressed giving greater priority to cultural development and upholding core socialist values to lead cultural development.

He also demanded improving education on patriotism, collectivism, and socialism to enhance people's confidence in the socialist path, theory, system, and culture for stronger ideological and spiritual solidarity among all Chinese people.

Xi noted the role of the people's health in social development and national prosperity, calling for putting people's health high on the development strategy.

Stressing the importance of epidemic prevention, Xi urged efforts to set up a stable input mechanism for the public health sector and step up reform of disease prevention and control systems.

He emphasized promoting the great spirit of battling the COVID-19 epidemic, summarizing effective epidemic-fighting experience and models, and crystallizing them into institutions.

On enhancing international exchanges and cooperation, Xi called for better working mechanisms for China to participate in major global public health emergency responses.

He pledged that China will fulfill international obligations, play its role as the world's biggest supplier of anti-epidemic materials, and promote the building of a community of health for all.

Xi stressed that sport is an important way to improve people's health, and an important method to fulfill their aspirations for a better life and promote well-rounded human development.

He urged the establishment of a new model, in which sports, health and other departments coordinate with each other with the participation of the whole society.

The fight against doping in sports should be resolutely pushed forward, Xi said, vowing "zero tolerance" for doping in sports.

He also urged high-quality preparations for the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing.

Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, and Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.