Chinese leader Zeng Qinghong asked northwest China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region to make new progress in promoting common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups during his inspection tour of the region from Aug. 19 to 24.

Zeng, Chinese vice-president and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, spoke highly of the tremendous changes taken place in Xinjiang over the past 50 years during the tour made on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the region.

During the tour, Zeng visited plants, agricultural and pastoral areas, urban communities, oilfields and households of local people.

He said as the first provincial-level administrative region to carry out the system of regional autonomy of ethnic minorities after the New China was founded, Xinjiang has accumulated beneficial experience in promoting unity of all ethnic groups to seek common prosperity and development.

He asked local officials to further care for the production and lives of people of all ethnic groups and improve work in promoting employment and poverty relief so as to lay solid foundation for security, stability and harmony in the border region.

Zeng also asked local CPC organizations to better carry out the educational campaign to improve the "vanguard character" of CPC members.??

(Xinhua News Agency August 25, 2005)