Xi calls for boosting building of Chinese nation as a community

The National Conference on Commending Models for Ethnic Unity and Progress was held in Beijing on the morning of September 27th. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Chinese president, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the conference and delivered an important speech. He emphasized the need to comprehensively implement the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially the important thought on strengthening and improving work on ethnic affairs.

He stressed that, with a focus on forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, it is imperative to continuously advance the cause of ethic unity and progress, promote the high-quality development of the Party’s work on ethnic affairs in the new era, boost the building of the Chinese nation as a community, and tirelessly strive for the building of a strong country and realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.

Li Qiang presided over the conference, and Wang Huning read out the commendation decision, with Zhao Leji, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, and Li Xi in attendance.

At 10 a.m., the conference began, and all attendees stood up and sang the national anthem of the People’s Republic of China.

Wang Huning read out the Decision of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Commending Model Groups and Individuals for Ethnic Unity and Progress. 352 model groups and 368 model individuals were honored.

Amid the joyful music, President Xi and others presented awards to the commended model individuals and representatives of exemplary groups.

In a warm applause, Xi delivered an important speech. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Xi first extended congratulations to the commended model groups and individuals, and expressed sincere greetings to comrades on the work front of ethnic affairs and people from all walks of life who care about and support the cause of ethnic unity and progress.

Xi pointed out that the CPC has always attached great importance to work on ethnic affairs. For over a hundred years, we have persisted in combining Marxist ethnic theory with the specific realities of China’s ethnic issues and with the best of traditional Chinese culture, creatively blazing a right path with Chinese characteristics to solve ethnic issues. On this path, the CPC has united and led the people of all ethnic groups in the country to achieve national independence and people’s liberation, creating a new situation of developing equal, united, mutually supportive, and harmonious relations among all ethnic groups. It has promoted unprecedented progress in the economic and social development in regions of ethnic minority groups and improved their lives. China’s ethnic minorities, regions of ethnic groups, relations between different ethnic groups, and the Chinese nation have undergone profound and historical changes.

Xi said that since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have continuously promoted the efforts to adapt Marxist ethnic theories to the Chinese context and the needs of the times, and made it clear that fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation should be a focus in the Party’s work on ethnic affairs in the new era and a focus in the work on all fronts in regions of ethnic minority groups.

As a result, the Party’s important thoughts on strengthening and improving the work on ethnic affairs have been formed, and we have promoted ethnic regions to join the other parts of the country in securing a victory in the fight against poverty, finishing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects, and embarking on a new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects. The Party has achieved new historic progress in its work on ethic affairs.

Xi pointed out that on the path with Chinese characteristics to handling ethnic affairs with a focus on the fundamental and overall interests of the Chinese nation, we have maximized the cohesion among all ethnic groups, so that they can strive in unity to achieve the shared prosperity and development. On that path, we have adhered to the principle of equality among all ethnic groups, opposing oppression and discrimination among different ethnic groups, which ensures that people of all ethnic groups truly enjoy equal political rights and jointly run the country.

On that path, we have handled well the relation between maintaining national unity and implementing regional ethnic autonomy, combining unity with autonomy, and integrating ethnic and regional factors, to see that the Chinese nation becomes a community with a stronger sense of identity and a greater level of cohesion. Practice has proven that this path is a completely correct one.

Xi emphasized that the Chinese nation, with a civilization history spanning over 5,000 years, is a great nation. All ethnic groups have collectively developed the vast territory of the motherland, created a unified multi-ethnic country, written the glorious history of China, developed the brilliant Chinese culture, and cultivated the great national spirit. The intermingling of bloodlines of all ethnic groups has laid the historical foundation for the formation and development of the community for the Chinese nation.

Additionally, the shared convictions of all ethnic groups have served as the endogenous driving force for the founding of a unified multi-ethnic country. The cultural connections among all ethnic groups are the cultural genes that have shaped the pluralistic and integrated civilization of the Chinese nation. The economic interdependence of all ethnic groups is the powerful force for building a unified economy. The emotional bonds among all ethnic groups are the strong ties that bind the Chinese nation as one family. The formation and development of the community for the Chinese nation is the will of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups, the trend of the times, and a historical inevitability.

Also, Xi pointed out that it is necessary to steadfastly adhere to the leadership of the Party, guide people of all ethnic groups to continuously strengthen their identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. It is crucial to firmly establish the concept of a community with a shared future, sharing weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and destiny, and continuously consolidate the common ideological and political foundation for the unity and struggle of all ethnic groups.

Xi called for further efforts to build a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation and deepen inculcation of public awareness of patriotism, collectivism and socialism with core socialist values as guidance. He also stressed that people from all ethnic groups should be helped to develop a correct understanding of state, history, ethnicity, culture and religions, and efforts should be intensified on historical and cultural education for young people. He added that the use of standard spoken and written Chinese should be promoted in an all-round way to provide strong spiritual and cultural support for building a community for the Chinese nation.

Xi noted that to advance Chinese modernization and achieve common prosperity, not a single ethnic group should be left behind. It is imperative to speed up high-quality development in regions with large ethnic minority populations, promote closer economic connection and integration among all regions, and take solid steps to promote common prosperity among all ethnic groups. It is essential to remain committed to ensuring and improving the people’s wellbeing in the course of pursuing development, and do more practical work to meet people’s needs, deliver real benefits to the people and win their approval, so as to meet the people’s aspirations for a better life.

Xi further stressed that all-round integration among all ethnic groups should be facilitated to promote exchanges and interactions among them. It is a must to coordinate planning of socioeconomic development and allocation of public resources, strengthen infrastructure construction such as transportation and other facilities in border and ethnic regions, proactively promote the people-centered new urbanization, and orderly boost population flow among ethnic groups and make it possible for people from different ethnic groups to dwell as neighbors, so that they would cling together like pomegranate seeds.

Xi also pointed out the necessity to govern ethnic affairs in accordance with the law, and continuously improve the capability for governing ethnic affairs. It is a must to uphold and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy, gradually improve relevant laws, regulations and differentiated policies to support regional development, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups in accordance with the law. It is also a must to strengthen publicity and education on the rule of law, and guide people from all ethnic groups to enhance their awareness of the State, citizenship and the rule of law.

Xi stressed that CPC committees and governments at all levels should place work on ethnic affairs high on their agenda, study and resolve key issues in this regard in a timely manner, strengthen the efforts to foster high-caliber officials and talents in ethnic regions, and attach importance to fostering officials from ethnic minority groups and put them on posts where they can put to the best use their capabilities. It is necessary to improve the institutional mechanism for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, give full play to the leading role of role models, and create a favorable atmosphere for society-wide attention and support for work on ethnic affairs.

While presiding over the conference, Li Qiang pointed out that, in his speech, General Secretary Xi comprehensively summarized the great achievements the country has made in promoting ethnic unity and progress over the past 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China, especially in the new era. The speech profoundly revealed the root and soul of the formation and development of the sense of community for the Chinese nation, clearly putting forward the overall requirements for consolidating the sense of community for the Chinese nation and promoting the building of the community for the Chinese nation on the new journey in the new era.

With profound insight and broad vision, it is a programmatic document for promoting the building of the community for the Chinese nation. We must conscientiously study, understand, and thoroughly implement it. We must fully implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving work on ethnic affairs, profoundly understand the decisive significance of “Two Affirmations”, resolutely act on “Two Upholds”, closely focus on consolidating the strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, promote the high-quality development of the Party’s work in this regard, and make unremitting efforts for building a modern socialist country in all respects.

Moreover, representatives of the commended model individuals and groups delivered speeches at the meeting.

Some members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and members of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, leaders of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the State Council, the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission attended the conference.

Additionally, representatives of the commended exemplary groups and individuals, leading officials of the relevant departments from various provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and relevant departments of the Central Party, government, military, and people’s organizations attended the conference.