A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader Monday asked the government and CPC's publicity departments to improve their capability to deal with media institutions to give full play the media's role in pooling strength to carry out tasks.

Li Changchun, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the call at a national conference on publicity.

With the new and complex changes in international and domestic circumstances, the publicity sector shoulders "onerous tasks" to unify ideology, pool strength, deepen reform, accelerate development, maintain stability, and promote harmony, he said.

He called for efforts to create a sound environment for the country to combat global financial crisis and sustain stable and relatively fast economic development.

He also urged enhanced efforts in building a "socialist core value system" that may consolidate the ideological basis for people from all ethnic groups.

"Crucial progresses" should be made in deepening reform on the cultural system this year, he said.