Inner Mongolia has successfully shown the way for China's system of regional autonomy for the country's ethnic minorities, said Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, on Tuesday.
Yu made the remarks in a speech at a celebration marking the 70th anniversary of the founding of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, held at the Ethnic Minorities Culture and Sports Center in the regional capital, Hohhot.
Yu said the establishment "opened a new era of Inner Mongolia's development, and created a successful model for the implementation of the ethnic autonomy system in China."
The leadership of the Communist Party of China plays an important role in regional development, said Yu, when he reviewed the achievements of the region over the past 70 years.
"Over the past 70 years, especially since the reform and opening up, Inner Mongolia has made remarkable economic achievements," he said.
The GDP of the region reached 1.86 trillion yuan last year, 642 times the figure recorded in 1947. The GDP per capita was 74,000 yuan, 145 times the figure in 1947.
During his speech, Yu called for firmly upholding the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities, adding that it promotes national unity and border integrity.
The senior official also urged that more efforts be made to improve the livelihoods of people in the region.
Yu, along with a 63-strong delegation from the central government, arrived in Hohhot on Monday and presented gifts to local representatives, including a plaque with an inscription from President Xi Jinping.
