BEIJING - Chinese President Hu Jintao said the country's trade unions should play an active role in promoting coordinated labor relations on Tuesday.

Addressing a symposium attended by the newly-elected leaders of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) and representatives of the 15th national congress of the ACFTU, Hu said trade unions should listen to the employees and voice their opinions.

He called on trade unions to earnestly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of employees and coordinate labor relations to promote social stability.

He added that trade unions need reform and should explore new solutions to deal with problems.

Hu said the country should give more resources to trade unions to facilitate innovation, in which the working class should be the driving force.

ACFTU's president Wang Zhaoguo also attended the meeting. He was elected president during the first session of the 15th ACFTU Executive Committee on Monday. It will be his third tenure.

China has the largest number of trade union members in the world, with membership increasing from 123 million in 2003 to 209 million this year.

"China's trade unions should unswervingly stick to building trade unions with Chinese characteristics," Vice President Xi Jinping said at the opening ceremony.

The congress is held every four years. The previous session convened in Beijing in September 2003, with more than 1,600 deputies present.