There is a perceived moral decline in society after decades of breakneck economic growth, and the Party issued an unusually detailed guideline in December to promote core social values, including civility and harmony, fairness and the rule of law; and integrity and friendship.

As social reform has gradually deepened and the country has increasingly opened up to the world, people are exhibiting more diversified thoughts, including the decayed and outdated ideals of extreme individualism and the selfish pursuit of personal gain, said People's Daily in editorial on Monday. It urged greater efforts to promote social and ethical progress.

Social openness and freedom have been greatly increased in the past three decades, but this has been accompanied by excessive liberalism, which has harmed social morality. This can be seen in the unexpected online "moral support" for those engaged in illegal behavior in Dongguan in South China's Guangdong province.