China's vice president orders more thought control over students Mr Xi's directive comes as the ruling Communist Party tries to engineer a trouble-free leadership transition amid growing internal threats to its political control. The increasing number of riots, demonstrations and strikes sparked by official corruption, land seizures, widespread pollution and labour disputes over low pay has deeply unnerved the secretive government. The Arab Spring uprisings, which led to online calls for copycat revolts in China, have also rattled the leadership. And the increasing influence and popularity of internet social media sites - especially among young Chinese - is also causing great anxiety. In response to the myriad of threats, the government has issued national orders for officials to get a grip on ideology and push "socialist core values." Mr Xi, the "princeling" son of Communist veteran Xi Zhongxun, also told university chiefs to closely monitor lecturers, especially those starting their academic careers. "Young teachers have many interactions with students and cast significant [political and moral] influence on them," Mr Xi said. "They also play a very important role in the spread of ideas," he added. A paramount task for universities is to "instruct" the thoughts of young lecturers and recruit more of them as party members, Mr Xi said. National newspapers were on Thursday also reporting instructions from senior leaders to intensify "propaganda work." Li Changchun, a Standing Committee member of the Communist Party's Politburo, told propaganda officials to enhance "the ability of opinion guiding and international communication, and strive to create an objective and friendly international public opinion environment in favour of our country." Mr Hu warned against hostile Western forces trying to split and divide China via a policy of cultural genocide in his article published in the latest edition of the ruling Communist Party's member's magazine "Seeking the Truth." He called on his government to promote its own red culture both domestically and overseas. In recent weeks, the amount of Western-inspired TV programmes such as talent and talk shows - "deemed trashy and vulgar" have been axed by two thirds during prime time.