International   

Foster harmony, Hu tells Uygur people

PHOTO: XINHUA

SOCIAL COHESION: Chinese President Hu Jintao with deputies to the First Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) from northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Beijing on Saturday.

BEIJING: Chinese President Hu Jintao on Saturday called on people in the north-western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to make new achievements in scientific development and social harmony.

While joining the Xinjiang delegation to Parliament in panel discussions, Mr. Hu urged Xinjiang officials and people to grasp the opportunities brought forth by the strategy of large-scale development of the western region to enhance stability and prosperity, and to ensure a stable border area by making local people rich.

He urged officials to take new steps to achieve sound and rapid economic development, ensure people’s well-being, improve their lives, enhance social harmony, improve work related to religious and ethnic affairs, and make more efforts in strengthening unity among ethnic groups.

Senior leaders including Wen Jiabao, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang also joined the panel discussions of the National People’s Congress on Saturday.

Mr. Wen, while holding discussions with the Henan delegation, said agriculture is crucial for the fast yet steady economic development and holding down inflation, urging governments at various levels to give top priority to agriculture.

He called on the officials and people in Henan, a central province that harvests 50 billion kg of grains annually, to contribute more to the country’s food safety and supplies of agricultural products.

Joining discussions of the Hebei Province delegation, Li Keqiang said the northern province, located in Bohai Sea rim, a key area in the Northeast Asia economic zone, should fully exploit its advantages to promote innovation and foster new industries to improve the people’s livelihood and boost social and economic development.

He Guoqiang, joining deputies from the northwestern Qinghai Province, said more efforts should be made in infrastructure construction and environment protection, particularly in the source area of China’s most famed rivers, including the Yangtze and Yellow River.

He also called for unity among different ethnic groups to maintain social stability.

During discussions with the Shanxi delegation, Zhou Yongkang said the coal-rich northern province should underline energy conservation, environmental protection and workplace safety in its building of a modern energy base. — Xinhua

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Foster harmony, Hu tells Uygur people
No pressure to quit: Badawi
Crew foils bid to crash Chinese plane
Zardari: we shall behave responsibly
Spaniards vote in elections marred by politician’s killing
A woman wants to make it in Bhutan election
Call to restore Pakistan judiciary
Dynastic politics: Imran
Bangladesh Army denies ‘homage’ plan
Tributes paid to slain TNA legislator
47 fishermen released: Sri Lanka

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu