BEIJING, April 24 - The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee said on Monday that China would promote and produce more "healthy online cultural products" as part of their efforts to promote social harmony.

 

Participants at the Politburo meeting, presided over by Chinese President Hu Jintao, asked all publicity and cultural organizations to produce more high-quality online cultural products, which "represent the social progress and the splendid traditional culture of China".

 

Such moves were aimed at "nurturing a healthy online culture" and preventing "decadent" online material from spreading over the Internet, said a news release from the meeting.

 

The Politburo said China would also make more efforts to promote the ideology of Marxism over the Internet, according to the news release.

 

China's Internet population jumped by almost 24 percent last year to reach 137 million, around one in ten Chinese, according to the China Internet Network Information Center.

 

President Hu Jintao said earlier this year that the rapid development of the Internet in China has played an important role in spreading information, knowledge and CPC policy, but has also raised new issues for the country's cultural development.

 

"Whether we can cope with the Internet is a matter that affects the development of socialist culture, the security of information and the stability of the state," Hu said.