A seminar was held Thursday to mark the 40th anniversary of the debate on the criterion of truth, which paved the way for China's reform and opening up drive.
The meeting was jointly held by the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Party School of the CPC Central Committee, and Guangming Daily, a Beijing-based newspaper.
Senior officials, researchers and those who had participated in the 1978 debate attended the meeting.
The debate, made possible by the support of Deng Xiaoping and other senior leaders, laid foundations for the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, which marked the beginning of China's reform and opening up drive.