China's president urges reforms

BEIJING, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- China's president says the Communist Party and the government must take more proactive measures to address social conflicts and promote social harmony.

Hu Jintao, who is also general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks to the party's Political Bureau, China's state-run news agency Xinhua reported Wednesday.

Conflicts and contradictions will inevitably emerge in a society at the primary stages of socialism, he said, with the transformation of the economic system and the social structure.

He called for a speeding up of social reforms aimed at improving lives while safeguarding people's interests and rights in accordance with law, Xinhua said.

Hu urged the government to improve social administration and public service and promote scientific and democratic decision-making so that policies are made based on reality and people's fundamental interests.

He demanded party and government officials listen more to the voice and complaints of the public, Xinhua reported.