President Hu Jintao instructed top officials of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to "enhance their capability of looking into major social issues in building a harmonious society" at a seminar of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on Tuesday.

Hu, also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, asked them to study developments in social issues such as the structure of social strata, urban-rural structure, population distribution, employment structure, and changes in the structure of social organizations, "to better the government's management of social affairs."

He also told them to look deeper into improvements in public safety and social security to safeguard social stability. Leading cadres should go deep among the people to improve their understanding of policy and work.

To build a harmonious society, "we have to be more capable of managing social affairs, coordinating different interests and dealing with contradictions among the people," the president said.

He also called for research on theories about the construction of a socialist society to "guide the cause of building a harmonious society."

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2005)