The Central Conference on the Work of Ethnic Affairs and the Fourth National Awards Ceremony for Ethnic Unity and Progress were held Friday in the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing.

President Hu Jintao addressed the meeting, saying, "the issue of ethnic affairs has always been a major one that we must handle well in the building of socialism with China's own characteristics. "

Hu, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the Party has opened up "a correct road of resolving the ethnic issue with China's own characteristics" and enormous achievements have been made in promoting ethnic unity and progress.

Hu called on the whole nation to be fully aware of the importance and urgency to handle well the issue and help ethnic groups and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities to accelerate economic and social development.

The common prosperity and development of all nationalities in China is a major goal to build a harmonious society, said Hu, adding that Party and government will adopt more efficient policies and measures to step up economic and social development of ethnic minorities and minority areas, so as to minimize the gap of development gradually, realize a coordinated development among different regions, and finally realize common prosperity of all ethnic groups in the country.

Top Party and state leaders present at the conference included Wen Jiabao, Zeng Qinghong, Huang Ju, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan.

Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, presided over the conference. He spoke highly of Hu's speech and saying it is of great importance for the nation to do well work of ethnic affairs under the new situation.

Source: Xinhua