China ordered its journalists to learn "Marxist news values" and uphold the principles of reporting as prescribed by the ruling Communist Party, the latest step in president Xi Jinping's crackdown on the media.

The guidelines by the All China Journalists' Association, published by state news agency Xinhua are another sign of Xi's conservative agenda. The association said journalists "must learn to master Marxist news values".

Early this year, Chinese journalists also had to pass a new ideology exam to keep their press cards.