China's top advisory body on Tuesday held a seminar on building the country's "soft power" with an emphasis on cultural development.

"Cultural development, a main theme in building a country's soft power, plays a significant role in enhancing comprehensive national power," said Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Jia said that cultural development, which is to serve the overall building of a well-off society and building socialism with Chinese characteristics, is required to gain an upper hand in the international arena and maintain national unity.

The top advisor called for an overall construction of the socialist core value system so as to encourage the entire society to move forward with solidarity, and called for the development of cultural industry so as to meet the public's various cultural demand.

Jia also stressed the importance of promoting the elite part of Chinese culture and making it worldwide.

Political advisors of all levels should make their efforts to contribute to the cultural development "by bringing into full play their own advantages."

Liu Yunshan, head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and State Councilor Chen Zhili attended the seminar with officials, experts and members of non-Communist parties.