BEIJING, June 13 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called for learning from veteran leader Chen Yun and carrying forward his legacy with an enterprising spirit and hard work to build China into a strong country.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at a meeting held in the Great Hall of the People to mark the 120th anniversary of Chen's birth.

Chen was recognized as a great proletarian revolutionary and statesman, and as one of the founding figures of the country's socialist economy. He was a key member of both the Party's first generation of central collective leadership with Mao Zedong at the core and the second generation of central collective leadership with Deng Xiaoping at the core, according to Xi.

At the meeting, Xi recalled Chen's glorious life, hailing him as "a tested, distinguished Party and state leader," who had made significant contributions to the cause of the Party and the people.

Xi encouraged Party members to learn from Chen's lofty spirit and qualities, urging them to remain steadfast in their ideals and convictions, bolster their confidence in success, and maintain political resolve in a complex environment full of turbulence and change.

Xi further underlined the significance of learning from Chen's wealth of leadership expertise and striving to enhance the Party's capacity for leading economic and social development as well as its self-building competence.

He emphasized the importance of enhancing the Party's leadership over economic work and deepening the understanding of the laws governing socialist economic development.

"It is important to comprehensively deepen reform at a swift and steady pace, and to remain steadfast in pursuing higher-standard opening up," he said.

Xi also praised Chen for his adherence to the principle of seeking truth from facts and for viewing research and studies as a vital prerequisite for decision-making.

He urged CPC members to adopt this scientific methodology in thinking and working, make sound assessments of situations, plan effectively for the future, and improve their research and studies, so they can make decisions that better reflect reality and meet the people's expectations.

Chen was born in 1905 and joined the Party in 1925. He died of illness in 1995 at the age of 90.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting.

Zhao Leji, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, presided over the meeting.