Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with villagers at the Yuanlong Relocation Village of Minning Town in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, July 19, 2016. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to promote religious and social harmony while guarding against illegal infiltration via religious means.
Xi, who is also General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour to northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region from Monday to Wednesday.
The president called on authorities to stick to the CPC's religious policies, carry out religion-related work in a law-based manner, and guide religions to adapt better to socialist society.
More efforts should be made to "direct religious figures and believers to respect and abide by the law, resolutely guard against illegal infiltration via religious means, and promote religious and social harmony," he said.
Xi stressed that it is very important for ethnic and religion-related work to be done well in Ningxia, which is home to many Chinese Muslims.
Education on national unity and progress should be enhanced to strengthen the idea that the Han ethnic group and various ethnic minority groups are inseparable from one another, Xi said.
Economic and social development should be accelerated in regions mainly inhabited by ethnic minority groups so as to promote unity and cohesion, the president added.
During his tour, Xi visited Xincheng Mosque in Yinchuan, the regional capital.
"No matter whether local or imported, our country's religions have been deeply imprinted into the Chinese civilization, with a history of more than 5,000 years, and have been deeply integrated into our social life," Xi said.
The Chinese president called on religious circles to interpret Islamic doctrine well, publicize latest achievements in interpretation, foster religious personnel, especially among the middle-aged and the young, and better serve and guide believers.
