President Xi Jinping has asked authorities to befriend and recruit more non-Communist Party of China intellectuals and representatives, stressing their role in economic development and in cleansing the Internet.

High value should be placed on intellectuals in new economic and social organizations, and they should exert their roles in development. Students abroad should also be encouraged to return home to serve the country in various ways, the president said.

Uniting non-CPC intellectuals is strategically important work in realizing the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation, Xi said at a meeting on Wednesday in Beijing.