During the Spring Festival holidays, government officials in Chaohu, Anhui Province help local residents hang red lanterns with the core socialist values printed on them. (Photo: People's Daily)

Since the 24-word “core socialist values” were first defined at the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), they have taken roots in the public’s mind and are translated into actions.

Core socialist values, which summarize the nation, society and individuals, comprise a set of moral principles defined by central authorities as prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship.

These values are expected to be highlighted in this year’s upcoming annual meetings of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

The core values not only highlight the nation’s traditional culture from its 5,000-year history, but also evolve with the new era and contain the spiritual sustenance needed by the country’s development.

Appreciating those philosophies, local governments have put them into practice. Chaohu city in East China’s Anhui Province, for example, encourages good deeds among its citizens by hanging lanterns for moral models during the Spring Festival.

Xuzhou, a city in East China’s Jiangsu Province organized speech contests on family morality, while Southwest China’s Sichuan Province innovated its approach to publicity by including the values in riddles.

The core values also echo the common values shared by mankind. The elaborations by Chinese leaders on such values are also hailed by the international community.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, when addressing the general debate of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in last September, stressed that “peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom are common values of all mankind and the lofty goals of the United Nations,” wining him applause.

In addition, China always regards its contributions to the values shared by the mankind as a criterion to asses its performance. But different from the West that breeds turbulence by advocating “universal values” for all, China combines the values with specific situations after drawing their lessons. 

Primary school students in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province paint eggs to illustrate the core socialist values. (Photo: People's Daily)