BEIJING - President Xi Jinping has urged a key socialist institute to make more effort to train non-communist officials who have strong socialist beliefs and work closely with the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Xi, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks in a congratulatory letter released on Friday on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Central Institute of Socialism (CIS).

Founded with the support of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, the CIS is a political academy co-sponsored by non-communist parties and people without party affiliation.

Xi hailed the institute's achievements over the past six decades in fostering key non-communist figures who work closely with the CPC as well as its contributions to improving the system of multi-party cooperation under CPC leadership.

Xi urged the CIS to strengthen its political training and focus on boosting political consensus and trainees' confidence in the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics while consolidating the common ideological and political foundation.