BEIJING, Feb. 29 -- The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held a symposium in the Great Hall of the People on Friday to mark the 110th birthday of the late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.
Chinese President Hu Jintao highly praised Zhou's devotion to the Party, the people and the nation, calling on the whole Party members and people to learn from his example in the process of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and completely implement the spirit of the 17th National Congress of CPC.
Zhou, born in 1898, was one of the key CPC leaders leading China's revolution and as well as one of the founders of the People's Republic of China and the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Zhou served as Chinese Premier from 1949 to 1976. Hu called Zhou a great Marxist, a great proletarian revolutionist, a great statesman and diplomatist, and an important member of the first-generation central leadership of the CPC with Mao Zedong at the core.
"Zhou had devoted his whole life to the Party, the nation and the people, his spirits and deeds will inspire us to work harder in the reform and opening-up on the road of building socialism with Chinese characteristics," Hu said.
The symposium was presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao.
"Comrade Zhou Enlai has made a life-long selfless devotion to the cause of Chinese revolution and construction. He loved the people as much as the people loved him. His spirit of self-sacrifice devotion will live forever in the people's hearts", Wen said.
Other top Chinese leaders Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang, Zhou Yongkang as well as other senior officials and representatives from various departments and organs of the government, CPC, PLA and non-Party organizations attended the symposium.
