BEIJING, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese official Li Changchun on Monday urged the country's state-run Xinhua News Agency to improve its capacity for international communication.

Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remark at a ceremony commemorating the agency's 80th founding anniversary.

"Xinhua must carry out a transformation from a traditional press institution to a modernized, multimedia agency in order to better compete with global news agencies," said Li.

Xinhua celebrated its anniversary in the Great Hall of the People in downtown Beijing on Monday. Headquartered in Beijing, Xinhua was founded on Nov. 7, 1931 in the city of Ruijin in southeast China's Jiangxi Province.

Li congratulated Xinhua on its anniversary, praising its 80 years of service.

"Xinhua needs to use all of its advantages to create a top-ranking international media organization commensurate with China's economic and social development and the country's international status," said Li.

Li also urged Xinhua to take advantage of advanced information technology to build a modernized communication system in order to improve its global influence.