China's government is determined to give greater support to the people of the country's ethnic groups and ethnic areas in the 12th Five-Year-Plan period (2011-2015), said Vice Premier Hui Liangyu at a plenum of the State Ethnic Affairs Commission in Beijing Thursday.

Hui, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, urged the delegates to seriously implement the demands and arrangements of the government regarding the economic and social development of ethnic minorities.

In the 11th Five-Year-Plan period (2006-2010), the government launched a series of policies on ethnic minorities and ethnic areas, which had resulted in outstanding economic, social and environmental achievements, Hui said.

He called for the adoption of more substantial policies and measures during the 12th Five-Year-Plan period, so as to achieve coordinated development between ethnic areas and other parts of the country and common prosperity and progress for all Chinese people.

Hui highlighted the goal of building a well-off society in ethnic areas. Greater efforts should be made to support border regions, pasturing areas and areas that were densely populated by very poor ethnic people, said Hui, who is a member of the Hui minority.

He pledged to step up infrastructure development, deepen industrial restructuring, and accelerate the development of social undertakings in ethnic areas.

(Xinhua News Agency September 17, 2010)