BEIJING, Oct. 26 (Xinhua) -- The president of China's official Xinhua News Agency, Tian Congming, has been elected chairman of the All-China Journalists Association.

    Tian Congming was elected at the first meeting of the seventh council of the association which concluded in Beijing on Thursday. 

    Chinese President and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao has acknowledged the past work of the association and expressed his hope that the association will maintain a correct political orientation and build bridges between the media, the party and the government, Tian said at his closing speech of the meeting.

    "The next five years is a crucial period for our country to build a well-off society in an all-round way and a harmonious socialist society, a time of great opportunities for the association and news organizations to accomplish their work," he said.

    The All-China Journalists Association represents more than 700,000 journalists in China.

    The meeting also outlined work goals in the next five years, approved the amended association regulations and elected the new council.

    Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, called on news organizations to foster a sound ideological and public opinion environment for building a harmonious socialist society.

    News organizations are playing a more and more important role in serving the party and the government and carrying out the task of leading public opinion in the right direction, Tian said

    Building a team of news talents is becoming an urgent task and developing and managing the cause of reporting more and more difficult, he added.

    He said the new council will stay united and make their contributions to building a harmonious society and advancing the cause of news.

    Tian, born in 1943 in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, became a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1965. He graduated from Beijing Normal University.

    Before he became president of Xinhua News Agency in June 2000, he was director general of the State Administration for Radio, Film and Television.

Tian Congming (C), president of China's official Xinhua News Agency, casts a ballot at the first meeting of the seventh council of the association in Beijing Oct. 25, 2006. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery >>>