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China Focus: Ethnic groups integral to prosperous society, Xi says

Xinhua, January 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chinese President Xi Jinping encouraged one of China's smallest ethnic minorities to facilitate economic and social development when meeting members of the group during a three-day inspection tour in Yunnan Province that wrapped up Wednesday.

Xi met with officials and residents of the Drung-Nu Autonomous County of Gongshan on Tuesday in Kunming, the provincial capital.

"No ethnic group will be left behind in the drive to fulfill the 'building of a moderately prosperous society' in all respects by 2020," said Xi.

SIZE IS NOT IMPORTANT

There are around 6,900 people that identify themselves as Drung across China, with the majority of the ethnic group living in a small township in the autonomous county.

Despite the group's size, the president stressed that "it is equal with other ethnic groups in China".

Before New China was founded in 1949, it took residents two weeks to finish a roundtrip to the seat of the county.

After 1949, a rough route was established to link the township with the seat of the county. By 1999, the township was connected to the seat of the county by a paved road that shortened a oneway trip to about 7 hours.

In April 2014, a tunnel was finished that shortened the route to just three hours.

Resident's living standards have improved along side infrastructure development, with annual per capita disposable income now surpassing 2,000 yuan (about 321 U.S.dollars).

In the months leading up to the opening of the tunnel, locals wrote to the president to inform him of their economic and social accomplishments.

In his reply, Xi lauded their achievements as they would assist in the country's task of building a moderately prosperous society and encouraged them to continue to fulfill their development goals.

BETTER LIVES, TOGETHER

The writers of the letter, four officials and one resident, were among the seven locals who attended Tuesday's meeting.

During the meeting, Xi said he was happy to learn that under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) the lives of the people of the ethnic group have improved and they are striving for a better future.

Xi said the great changes that had taken place in ethnic minorities including Drung demonstrated the superiority of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Xi said the CPC cared for the development of every ethnic group and fulfilling the "building of a moderately prosperous society" demanded concerted efforts from people of all ethnic groups.

Gao Derong, a former county head, told the president that the people of the ethnic group would continue to follow the CPC's instructions and contribute to ethnic solidarity.

During his tour, Xi urged the Yunnan Provincial authorities and its diverse people, who identify as being members of many of China's 56 ethnic groups, to be role models for ethnic solidarity.

Calling ethnic solidarity "the lifeline of people of all ethnic groups", Xi said regional ethnic autonomy should be upheld and enhanced and education on ethnic solidarity should be promoted. Endi