BEIJING — Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan on Oct 13 stressed strengthening the work on spoken and written language in the new era at a national teleconference on language.

She said the enhanced popularization of standard Chinese among the Chinese people in recent years made notable contributions to the development of the country's educational, cultural, economic, and social sectors, to safeguarding national unity, and to the improvement of the country's soft power.

She called on local departments to strengthen the work on spoken and written language by improving relevant laws, regulations, and working mechanisms, as well as cultivating more talent in this regard.

Sun also called for unrelenting efforts to promote standard Chinese through schools, authorities, news media, and the public service sector.