Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called on artists to present socialist core values in their works.

"Fine art works should be like sunshine from blue sky and breeze in spring that will inspire minds, warm hearts, cultivate taste and clean up undesirable work styles," said Xi, at a symposium that gathered some of the country's most renowned authors, actors, script writers and dancers.

Life-like works should be created so as to tell people in an "covert but influential" way what should be praised and what should be denied, he said.

Art works should also present patriotism as the main theme and foster correct viewpoints of history, nationality and culture, as well as strengthen pride in being Chinese, according to the president.

Xi said that "pursuit of the true, the good and the beautiful" is the mission of artists as the best works of art "touch people, baptize their soul and enable them to find beauty in nature, life and their minds."

This can "lead people to live a life abiding by the code of morality," he said.