Senior official urges economic development in ethnic regions

Senior Chinese official Yu Zhengsheng on Friday called for development of the economy in regions with high concentrations of ethnic minorities, and greater unity among minorities.

Yu, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, made the remarks at a seminar following up a central work conference on ethnic issues in 2014.

New achievements have been made since the conference as ethnic regions have witnessed rapid economic development and exchanges among different ethnic groups have been strengthened, according to Yu.

He said precise poverty relief mechanisms should be built in these areas, and priority should be given to increasing employment and education.

People of ethnic minorities must be made to believe in the law, and the law should be fairly applied, Yu told the seminar.

Over 200 officials from central and local authorities joined the seminar, which was chaired by Liu Yandong, vice premier of the State Council.

Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the CPC Central Committee United Front Work Department, also took part. Endi