BEIJING - Nearly 90 million of China's most well-educated people are not members of the Communist Party of China (CPC), but are still an important part of the country's "united front," a senior official said on Thursday.

More than 75 percent of China's 120 million "intellectuals," or people with degrees from institutes of higher education, are not CPC members, said Chen Xiqing, vice minister of the the United Front Work Department of the CPC Central Committee.

"Universities and research institutes have always been an important gathering place for non-CPC intellectuals, as well as a major source of representatives for the united front," Chen said at the opening of a "united front" training session held by the CPC Central Committee and the Ministry of Education.

The "united front" refers to a coalition of CPC members and non-CPC members working together with other organizations to advance China's development.

The training session was attended by 52 people in charge of "united front" work at universities and research institutes across the country, including the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Universities and research institutes provide a major foundation for "united front" work, Chen said, adding that the enthusiasm, initiative and creativity of non-CPC intellectuals have greatly contributed to China's development in recent years.