Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for people of all ethnic backgrounds to show mutual respect and concern during a four-day inspection tour of Yunnan Province.

He urged redoubled efforts to preserve the hard-won unity of all ethnic groups and to implement fully the country's policies on ethnic minorities. His visit to the province, which is home to 26 different ethnic groups, ended on Tuesday.

People of all ethnic groups should help each other and progress together, he told community residents of Wuhua District in Kunming, provincial capital of Yunnan.

During a tour of the Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture in central Yunnan, Hu talked to villagers and met minority delegates.

The Communist Party of China and the government are to emphasize more strongly developing areas inhabited by ethnic minorities and strengthen support to improve their livelihood, he said.

All ethnic minorities are important members of the Chinese family, Hu said. Unity guaranteed prosperity and development of minority-inhabited areas and the welfare of all ethnic groups.

During his stay in Kunming, Hu also visited industrial and mine companies and inspected the construction of ecological projects.

He asked companies to embrace innovation and expand their markets to offset the impact of the global economic downturn, and urged local authorities to step up the fight against pollution.

He also called for continued efforts to expand domestic demand and consumption, optimizing investment structure, and full play for investment in driving economic growth.

(Xinhua News Agency July 28, 2009)