Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for efforts to carry on patriotism and spirit of selfless devotion for the advancement of the country's modernization drive.

Xi made the call at a seminar to mark the 120th anniversary of the birth of Li Dazhao, a founder of the Communist Party of China(CPC).

Photo taken on Oct. 28, 2009 shows a scene at a conference to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Li Dazhao(1889-1927), one of the main founders of the Communist Party of China (CPC). [Xinhua]

Xi called Li a forerunner of the CPC movement, a great Marxist and an outstanding proletarian revolutionist.

Born on Oct. 29, 1889, Li was a Chinese intellectual and one of the leaders of the anti-imperialism "May Fourth Movement" in 1919.He was captured by a warlord in 1927 and then executed.