Senior Chinese official Jia Qinglin has called for the accelerated
development of minority ethnic groups.
Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), stressed that the government should
adopt more efficient policies and measures to step up economic and
social development of ethnic minorities and minority areas.
He said the economically developed regions would help the less
developed areas inhabited by minority ethnic groups.
Jia also urged the minority regions to accelerate the
development of local resources and industry including animal
husbandry, tourism and mining industry and open up wider to the
outside world.
He asked the regions to improve environmental protection, while
further developing education, public health, culture, and science
and technology.
China has 56 ethnic groups, with 123 million ethnic minority
people -- 9.4 percent of the 1.3 billion population.
Since China launched its reform and opening up drive, minority
ethnic groups have witnessed quicker economic and social
development and the living standards of the minority people have
improved remarkably.
However, owing to historic and natural factors, some of the
areas still lag behind in economic and social development and there
are still large gaps between different ethnic groups and different
minority areas.
(Xinhua News Agency July 19, 2006)