Hu Stresses Strong Patriotism, Ethnic Unity

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Sunday stressed that the country will continue to vigorously foster patriotism and strengthen the great unity of all China's ethnic groups and of all the Chinese at home and abroad.

Hu made the remarks at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of China's 1911 Revolution, or the Xinhai Revolution, which ended more than 2,000 years of imperial rule in China by toppling the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and resulted in the founding of Asia's first republican government.

"Patriotism is the soul of the Chinese nation and a powerful force mobilizing and uniting the whole nation to strive to revitalize China," said Hu.

Hu said it would be impossible to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation without the concerted efforts of all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation.

"We must consolidate and expand the broadest possible patriotic united front, and foster harmonious relations between political parties, between ethnic groups, between religions, between social strata, and between compatriots at home and overseas," said Hu.

The Chinese nation has a fine tradition of loving the motherland, and it is a common goal to create a happy life for the Chinese people and have China stand firm among the nations of the world, Hu said.