Hundreds of delegates from 32 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions gathered on May 27 in Beijing to participate in the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs Work and the Fourth National Awards Ceremony for Ethnic Unity and Progress. Most of the delegates came from minority ethnic regions, and were of minority ethnic groups.
    President Hu Jintao attended the conference and delivered an important speech, in which he reviewed the country's experience in ethnic affairs work since the founding of the People's Republic of China, especially since the nation embarked on the policies of reform and opening. Hu called on the whole nation to have a correct understanding of ethnic issues in the new situation, accomplish every task concerning the ethnic affairs work, strengthen efforts in developing human resources, and help ethnic minorities and ethnic minority areas to accelerate economic and social progress in order to promote ethnic unity, the unification of the country, and to improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy.
    The conference, which was attended by all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, attracted a great deal of attention. It clearly showed that the country's leaders are making the development of ethnic regions a priority and have placed ethnic affairs work at the top of the agenda along with the country's other major strategic tasks.
    The Chinese media has reached a common belief that the conference has become an occasion of almost equal significance as the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
    Before the conference, the State Council passed the "Plan to Support Development of Minority Ethnic Groups with Small Populations." According to the plan, the central government will invest large sums to support those minority ethnic groups with small populations, and improve their living standard to the medium or above medium level within five years.
    During the conference, the Political Bureau of the Party held a special meeting chaired by President Hu Jintao to discuss and map out the blueprint for accelerating the social and economic development of minority groups and minority-populated regions.
    President Hu stressed that helping ethnic minorities and ethnic areas to achieve economic and social progress is a major task that has a bearing on the overall cause of the Party and people. The President also said that supporting the development of ethnic minorities and ethnic areas is a basic policy of the central authorities and one of the priorities for promoting the development of the western regions. He called for more efforts in assisting the development of education, science and technology, culture, and public health, with a focus on eradicating poverty and achieving comprehensive development in ethnic areas.
    More talented professionals from ethnic minorities will be trained and more ethnic officials be promoted, Hu said.
    Regional autonomy, a basic political policy of China, was the major topic of discussion at the conference. Before the conference, the members of the Standing Committee of the State Council passed the "Guiding Principles for Enforcing the 'Law on Regional Autonomy for China's Minorities'."
    Helping ethnic minorities and ethnic areas to accelerate their economic and social progress has become a vital legal principle. During the conference, President Hu reiterated that the autonomous regions would enjoy their full rights of autonomy and should make best use of the advantages brought by regional autonomy.
    It is now widely anticipated that the central government will further enhance its support for minority groups and ethnic areas, and the economic and social development of the minorities and ethnic areas will witness faster progress.
    An official from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission said during a news conference that the Chinese Government had always promoted "equality, unity and mutual support" with respect to relations among ethnic groups. However, the term "harmony" was added during the current conference. "This signifies a very important change," the official said.
    It is reported that the central government will work out two important plans - the "Border Prosperity Plan During the 11th Five-Year-Plan," and the "Minorities Activities Plan During the 11th Five-Year-Plan" following the conclusion of the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs Work. The two plans will map out several important measures and special policies to help speed up the development of ethnic minorities and ethnic regions.