Xi Jinping's inspection tour of Xinjiang

Xi pointed out that it is necessary to further cultural development in Xinjiang with promoting the sense of national identity as the focus. Cultural identity is of utmost importance. It is important to have a correct understanding of our history and culture, highlight Chinese cultural characteristics and the visual image of the Chinese nation. We should demonstrate the common features of Chinese culture, and display the historical facts of exchanges and interactions between Xinjiang and various ethnic groups in the rest part of China by developing a particular discourse and other effective vehicles. We should fully showcase the Chinese culture by displaying what can be touched and seen to strike a common chord. We should educate and guide people of all ethnic groups to establish a correct view of country, history, ethnicity, culture and religion, and enhance their identification with the motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the CPC and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi stressed that it's important to have a deep understanding of the close connection between development and stability, between development and people's livelihood, and between development and the will of the people, and make it possible for people to benefit from development achievements. Work needs to be done to accelerate high-quality economic development, cultivate and expand competitive specialty industries and enhance their capabilities to create jobs. Efforts should also be made to align efforts to consolidate the results of the battle against poverty with rural revitalization, and optimize the long-term mechanism for sustainable rural development.

He noted that it is essential to uphold integrated conservation and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands and deserts, facilitate ecology-prioritized development, further the fight against pollution, and strictly toe the line in ecological conservation. Xinjiang should expand its opening up, forge a bridgehead for opening up westward, and advance the building of the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt.

Xi noted that we must exercise full and rigorous self-governance over the Party and do a good job in training a contingent of competent officials. We must adhere to the underlying principle of being strict, take enhancing the Party's political building as the overarching principle to promote the building of all the other sectors of the Party and tighten the Party's political discipline and rules. We must reinforce and expand the achievements made in studying the history of the Party, educate and guide all the Party members and officials to strengthen their ideals and convictions and pass on the fine traditions of the Party.

Endeavors are needed to consolidate grassroots networks, and make Party organizations at the primary level in various fields strong forts. Party organizations at the primary level should improve their conduct and remove bureaucratism and pointless formalities. The leading groups of Party organizations and government departments should be streamlined, and the role of officials of ethnic minorities be brought into full play, he said.

Xi stressed that the XPCC needs to adapt to new developments, meet new demands, so as to play a greater role in the work related to Xinjiang. The XPCC and local areas should be better integrated in development, build major infrastructure jointly, and promote integration on economic, social, cultural and ecological progress, ethnic unity as well as the development of the official and personnel pool. The two sides need to build infrastructure with joint efforts, share resources, further integration and boost complementation.

Xi said that the work related to Xinjiang is a key issue for the CPC and the whole country, for it is concerned with China's overall development. The CPC needs to perceive the importance of the work related to Xinjiang from a strategic and overall perspective, step up efforts on pairing assistance for Xinjiang, enhance the mechanisms to improve the work related to Xinjiang and set the stage with concrete action for the 20th National Congress of the CPC.

Before listening to the reports, Xi met with representatives of current and retired officials at different levels in the region, leading officials of the XPCC and officials of relevant departments, and representatives of different ethnic groups and sectors, officials working on aiding programs, law-enforcement officers, and patriots of religious circles. Xi, on behalf of the CPC Central Committee, extended sincere greetings to all living and working in the region.