BEIJING - Chinese president Xi Jinping has reiterated "core socialist values," urging deep understanding and comprehensive implementation of the moral doctrine nationwide.

While presiding over a high-level meeting on this issue on Monday, Xi asked for widespread publicity of the values, which he called the "moral and ideological foundation" for socialist China, through all society to guide morality.

Xi said authorities should make use of various opportunities and occasions to create circumstances for the value's cultivation, and "make them all-pervasive, just like the air."

Core socialist values comprise a set of moral principles summarized by central authorities as prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity and friendship.

This doctrine has been encouraged by the Communist Party of China (CPC) since its 18th Party Congress in late 2012. It has evolved into a national campaign to rebuild faith amid concerns that the world's second-largest economy has lost its moral compass during its three-decade economic miracle.

Last week, Xi called for greater efforts to set up a socialist value system with Chinese characteristics in line with a new era while addressing a meeting of ministerial-level officials.

Cultivating and acting on core socialist values is an important way of ensuring smooth operation of social systems and safeguarding social order, according to the president.

He urged implementation of the values in every aspect of life and for the doctrine to be made a "spiritual pursuit" of the public.

The principles should be introduced into text books, classes and schools and should be demonstrated in various cultural and art works, according to Xi.

"Core socialist values are the soul of cultural soft power," Xi said."Basically, the soft power of a nation depends on the vitality, cohesive force and charisma of its core values."

Officials and CPC members were told to take the lead in following the principles and acting as role models in practising morality.

Media are also asked to spread moral righteousness, a call to which TV stations across China are already responding.

All policies regarding the economy, politics, culture and society must be worked out to benefit the cultivation of core socialist values, and the law should also promoting their building, Xi said.

Behavior complying with the values should be encouraged and violations of them must be restrained, he added.

The president also stressed that their implementation must be based on traditional Chinese culture, which he labelled the root of the values.