President Xi Jinping called on Friday for learning from veteran leader Chen Yun (1905-95) and carrying forward his legacy with an enterprising spirit and hard work on the new journey in the new era to build China into a strong country and realize national rejuvenation.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to mark the 120th anniversary of Chen's birth.

Chen joined the CPC in 1925. He was recognized as a great proletarian revolutionary and statesman, and as one of the founding figures of the country's socialist economy.

He was a key member of both the Party's first generation of central collective leadership with Mao Zedong at the core and the second generation of central collective leadership with Deng Xiaoping at the core.

Chen set an outstanding example for following the principle of seeking truth from facts. He attached great importance to investigation and research in work style.

Noting that Chen's life was great and glorious, Xi said that "the noble spirit he upheld, the rich leadership experience he created, and the scientific ideological and working methods he summarized will always be our valuable assets".

He underlined the need to learn from Chen's noble spirit, firm up ideals and beliefs, establish strong confidence in victory, and maintain political composure in the face of changing and turbulent situations.

It is important to consciously practice the fundamental purpose of the Party in serving the people wholeheartedly, rely closely on the people to create historical achievements, and fully implement the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct to win the support of the people, he said.

Xi called for learning from Chen's rich leadership experience, with a focus on improving the Party's ability to lead the country in economic and social development as well as to strengthen itself.

While emphasizing the importance of strengthening the Party's leadership over economic work, he urged greater efforts in steadily deepening reform on all fronts and expanding high-standard opening-up to inject momentum and vitality into the country's modernization drive.

He called for exercising full and rigorous Party self-governance to ensure that the CPC always remains the strong core leadership of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

It is essential to learn from Chen's scientific thinking and work style, adhere to the Party's ideology, and study and apply the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics in a scientific way to make correct judgments on the situation and scientifically plan for the future, Xi said.

He also emphasized the need to improve the quality of investigation and research, accurately grasp new situations, new problems and new trends in economic and social development, and accurately understand the needs of people at the grassroots level and the expectations of the public so that decision-making is more in line with reality and the aspirations of the people.