BEIJING, April 23 -- Senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Liu Yunshan has called for a long-term "All Citizens Read" campaign that guides people to "enjoy reading, read good books and be adept at reading."

Liu, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee's Political Bureau, made the remarks while attending activities to mark the World Book Day on Thursday.

"Reading boosts knowledge and is a basic method for a nation to maintain spiritual development... We should promote reading and study among the public to inherit the outstanding culture, spread socialist core values and be a positive, virtuous force," Liu said.

Liu attended reading sessions and visited Zhonghua Book Company, a 100-year-old business specializing in editing, printing and publishing ancient and modern classics on humanities.

Praising the company for building an online database for Chinese classics, Liu stressed that ancient Chinese classics are a precious fortune and more effort is needed to archive and pass on outstanding works.

Liu wants reading campaigns to focus on young people while officials and cultural figures should take the lead to read and promote reading.

Calling for accelerated development of digital publishing, Liu urged publishing groups to prioritize social benefit.