Art should serve people, socialism: President Xi

President Xi Jinping stressed Wednesday that cultural and artistic sectors in China should serve the people and socialism.

Addressing authors, actors, script writers and dancers at a symposium in Beijing, Xi said, "Socialist culture and art is, in essence, the culture and art of the people."

Serving the people and the socialist cause is a requirement of the Communist Party of China, and it is essential to the future development of the country's cultural and artistic sectors, Xi said.

He described common citizens as "the connoisseurs and critics" of art, and said they should also be regarded as the main subjects of artistic works.

As quality of life has improved for the population of China, Chinese are in need of better cultural products, according to Xi, who urged the country's artists to learn from the people and base their creations on real lives.

"The creation of art can fly with the wings of imagination, but make sure art workers tread on solid earth," he said.