China's central authorities sent a congratulatory message to the local counterparts in the northwestern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region to mark the 50th founding anniversary of the country's first ethnic autonomous region.

The signatories included the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the State Council (Cabinet), the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the Central Military Commission.

The message called the 50th anniversary a major event in the history of the development of ethnic relations in China and "a new chapter for the development of Ningxia."

It hailed the historic changes that have taken place in Ningxia over the past five decades, particularly since the beginning of China's reform and opening-up drive.

The "historic changes" refer to the sustained and fast economic growth in Ningxia, the marked improvement of living standard of local people, the continuous upgrading of regional autonomy system in ethnic areas, and overall social progress.

The achievements through the joint efforts of officials and the public in Ningxia in the past 50 years are a success of the Communist Party's ethnic policies, the socialist road with China's own characteristics, and the system of regional autonomy in minority ethnic areas, it said.

As China's reform and development are standing at a new historic point, to accelerate Ningxia's development and develop equal and harmonious ethnic relations conform with the fundamental interests of local people, the message said.

It pledged that the Party and government will, as always, create more favorable conditions for the autonomous region to achieve sound and rapid development.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2008)