President Hu Jintao Tuesday called for implementing China's policies on ethnic minorities and religions in an all-round way and improving the system of regional ethnic autonomy so as to boost the nationwide endeavor for social harmony.

To this end, efforts are required to do a good job in the ethnic and religious work to create a social and political atmosphere whereby the people of all ethnicities share a common destiny, Hu said when he joined a delegation of legislators from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in their panel discussion about the government work report and other related documents.

While underscoring the role of ethnic officials and grass-roots organizations in boosting economic and national unity in ethnic autonomous areas, Hu encouraged the people of western China to follow the scientific outlook on development, continue macroeconomic control, keep to the new path of industrialization and focus on resolving agriculture and farmers-related issues for the sake of sustained, rapid, coordinated and health economic and social development.

Joining the Hubei provincial delegation in their discussion, Wu Bangguo, China's top legislator, said the drafting the Anti-Secession Law, opposing and checking the activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces that were bent on making Taiwan secede from China and promoting the peaceful reunification of the motherland is the common will of the Chinese people, including the Taiwan compatriots.

"This epitomizes the firm resolve of the entire Chinese people to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity and the fundamental interests of the Chinese nation," he said.

Concerning China's policies toward Taiwan are consistent and remain unchanged, Wu said, "We always advocate for achieving national reunification by peaceful means... So long as there is a glimmer of hope for peaceful reunification, we will exert our utmost to make it happen rather than give it up. No sovereign state can tolerate secession and every sovereign state has the right to use necessary means to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Wu voiced the belief that with the joint efforts of all deputies to the National People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature is sure to fulfill the solemn mission to do a good job in enacting the Anti-Secession Law.

Premier Wen Jiabao attended the discussion of the NPC delegation from Jiangsu, a developed coastal province in east China, on Monday.

Acknowledging Jiangsu's role in boosting the development of other regions, Wen expressed the hope that the province could sum up its experience for furthering economic growth by optimizing the local economic structure, striving for coordinated development and deepening reform and opening itself wider to the outside world.

Also on Tuesday, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body, joined CPPCC members representing Hong Kong and Macao in their joint panel discussion.

He appreciated the "encouraging achievements" the two special administrative regions had scored in economic and political fields and social development.

"As long as we adhere to understanding and implementing the principle of 'one country, two system,' 'Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong,' 'Macao people governing Macao' and a high degree of autonomy in an all-round way and correctly, the long-term of prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and Macao will be guaranteed," Jia said.

He inspired the CPPCC members with increased confidence in contributing to the unity of people in Hong Kong and Macao and sustained and healthy economic development there.

Discussing with the NPC delegation from Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Vice President Zeng Qinghong said the enaction of the Anti-Secession Law is conducive to maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan region, promoting the development of cross-Straits relations and safeguarding the interests of the 1.3 billion Chinese people, including the 23 million compatriots from Taiwan.

"It's completely necessary," he said.

Meanwhile, he hoped that the people of Inner Mongolia will further develop border trade and open itself wider to elsewhere in China and the other parts of the world for rapid and smooth economic growth.

Li Changchun and Luo Gan, both members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, participated in the discussion of Hebei and Jilin delegations on separate occasions.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2005)