Xi Jinping tells China’s writers and artists to ‘practise morality and decency’
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Morality and decency should be the first and foremost values for artists and writers, Chinese President Xi Jinping told a national conference on Tuesday in Beijing.
“The people and times will say no to any artists and writers who fail in morality and decency,” Xi said in his address to the Federation of Chinese Literary and Art Circles and its subordinate organisation, the Chinese Writers Association.
Artists and writers “who don’t respect themselves will not be respected”, the state broadcaster CCTV quoted Xi as saying.
“Our artists and writers must practise morality and decency, have good taste and be responsible,” he added. “They must be honest and clean, and their work should be about human decency and never compromise themselves for falsehood and decadence.”
Xi also laid out his expectation that China’s writers and artists should strive for high-quality work with good taste.
“Arts and culture should lead the times but cannot be about things that are bizarre and ridiculous,” he said. “While [market] efficiency is important, [writers and artists] cannot become the slaves of the market and money.”