BEIJING, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Li Changchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, watched a sing and dance show given by the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group in Beijing on Sunday evening.

    Li praised the group for making both social and economic achievements with reform in their performances and management system.

    The Sunday show, named after a renowned folk song "Jasmine", highlighted the folk songs and dances of eastern Jiangsu province.

    The group is one of the pilot organizations for the country's reform in cultural industry. It turned from a provincial government-sponsored art group to an independent company in 2004.

    In addition to business operation, it also caters to the cultural needs of rural residents. It gave more than 3,500 shows, including 1,500 for rural areas each year.

    Li said that the success of the group's reform showed that the key for the development of socialist culture lied in reform and renovation.

    State Councilor Liu Yandong also watched the performance.