A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Thursday called for efforts to strengthen preservation of cultural and natural heritage.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a symposium on heritage protection held in Beijing.

"We must protect the ecological environment like our own eyes and cherish cultural heritage the way we cherish life," Huang said.

Huang stressed profoundly grasping the importance of preserving cultural and natural heritage, and developing an accurate understanding of performance appraisal, culture and ecology.

He also urged efforts to improve heritage protection by strengthening personnel training and making use of modern science and technology.

China will celebrate its cultural and natural heritage day on June 8.