SHANGHAI -- President Xi Jinping on Thursday called for new roles and new missions for Shanghai's Pudong as the country celebrates the 30th anniversary of the area's development and opening-up.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered an important speech at a grand gathering in Shanghai.

Efforts should go into making Pudong a pioneer of reform and opening-up at a higher level, and a vanguard in fully building a modern socialist country, Xi said.

Pudong should also strive to become an example that highlights the Chinese people's confidence in the path, theory, system, and culture of socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.