Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks after hearing a work report from the Party committee and government of Inner Mongolia in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, June 8, 2023. /Xinhua

In his first trip to an autonomous region since the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last October, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, inspected north China"s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region from Monday to Thursday.

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During the fact-finding trip, Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called on the region to adhere to its strategic position and pursue green development that prioritizes ecological protection.

Efforts should also be made to pursue a new development philosophy and forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation so as to strive to write a new chapter of Chinese modernization, he said.

Green development

Located at the apex of the meandering bends of the Yellow River, Wuliangsu Lake is the biggest lake wetland of the Yellow River basin, and with functions like regulating water flow, improving water quality, and preventing ice formation and flooding, it is a hub of ecological functions in north China.

With the lake as the first stop of his inspection tour, Xi has stressed the integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grass and sand.

Over the past decade, Inner Mongolia has planted 122 million mu of trees and 286 million mu of grass, with the area of desertified land continuously reduced, data from the regional government showed.

While affirming the achievements the region has made, Xi also highlighted the importance of continuous efforts in promoting green development.

The top priority of Inner Mongolia"s development lies in transforming and upgrading the traditional energy industry, vigorously developing green energy, and strengthening the country"s major energy base, he said.

During a visit to an industrial park in Hohhot, Xi urged efforts for China to realize self-sufficiency in science and technology after learning about the R&D and production of semiconductor and photovoltaic materials products of the enterprises in the park.

He called on Inner Mongolia to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and the building of the China-Mongolia-Russia economic corridor to elevate the level of opening up.

Xi also urged the region to boost its connectivity with the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and China"s northeastern provinces.

A community for the Chinese nation

China is a unified multiethnic country, and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was the first province-level autonomous region established in China.

Xi noted on Thursday that, from a national perspective, the most arduous task in bringing prosperity to all the people nationwide remains in some border areas with mainly ethnic minority populations.

These areas should not be left behind on the road to common prosperity, he underscored.

Employment channels should be developed, the multi-level social security system should be improved and the results of poverty alleviation should be consolidated, Xi said.

In addition, he stressed the significance of ethnic unity and a sense of community for the Chinese nation, a concept the Chinese leader has stressed on many occasions.

Over the past decade, China has taken solid measures to foster a stronger sense of community for the Chinese nation, including supportive policies, development funds and industrial projects for ethnic minority groups and border areas.

From 2012 to 2022, the per capita disposable income of urban residents in areas with large ethnic minority populations increased by an annual average of 7.7 percent, and that of rural residents increased by 10.2 percent, according to the National Ethnic Affairs Commission.

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