国内英语新闻:Efforts urged to ensure social stability

SHENYANG, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A senior Party official on Tuesday called for all-out efforts to safeguard fairness, justice and social stability, through improving the political and legal work and developing the law-enforcement sector.

    Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Political Bureau, made the remarks at a workshop on political and legal work and safeguarding stability in northeast China, held in Shenyang, the capital of northeastern Liaoning Province.

    Zhou, who also heads the Central Political Science and Law Commission (CPSLC) of the CPC, made an inspection tour of the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning from Feb. 11-16 and attended the workshop on Wednesday.

    The senior Party official urged local authorities, political and legal departments in particular, to implement central government's policies and integrate their efforts to safeguard social stability with efforts to achieve economic development.

    "Social stability relies on economic development," he said.

    Zhou told local authorities to conduct an assessment on social risks before deciding on a new policy. Officials should visit communities and villages to hear complaints from the people and learn about people's will, so as to resolve contradictions and disputes at the grassroots level, he said.

    The official urged leading officials and law-enforcers to play a role in protecting the dignity and authority of socialist legal system.

    "Every citizen must express their will and protect their rights in a reasonable and lawful way, so as to jointly safeguard the general stable situation of reforms and development," he said.

    Law-enforcement must always give top priority to the Party's cause, the people's rights and interests, and the Constitution and law, Zhou said. He urged law-enforcers to be a guard for the safety of people's life and properties as well as social fairness and justice.

    The workshop was presided by Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu, who is also a state councilor and deputy secretary of the CPSLC.

    Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People's Court, also spoke at the workshop.