BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping has called for efforts to build Xinjiang featuring socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the third central symposium on work related to Xinjiang, which was held on Friday and Saturday in Beijing.

Xi underlined the need to fully and faithfully implement the CPC's policies on governing Xinjiang for the new era.

Xi demanded law-based governance and long-term efforts to develop Xinjiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous, and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment.

Thanks to strenuous efforts from all sides since the second symposium in 2014, major progress has been achieved in the work related to Xinjiang, Xi said, citing a series of markedly improving key indicators from 2014 to 2019, such as a sound economic momentum with an average annual GDP growth rate of 7.2 percent, people's living standards being significantly improved with an average annual 9.1 percent growth in residential per capita disposable income, and more than 2.92 million out of 3.09 million people being lifted out of poverty.

Such a sound situation where people live and work in contentment has laid a solid foundation for long-term peace and stability in Xinjiang, Xi said.

"Facts have fully proved that China's work on ethnic affairs has been successful," he said, noting the achievements are the result of the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, along with the concerted efforts of the whole Party and all the Chinese people including more than 25 million people from different ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Facts prove that the Party's policies on Xinjiang in the new era, which were developed by the CPC Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress, are perfectly right and must be adhered to on a long-term basis, Xi stressed.

He demanded the entire Party make implementing the Party's Xinjiang policies in the new era a political task, always maintaining the correct political orientation of the work related to Xinjiang.

Xi noted that the banner of socialist rule of law must be held high to maintain lasting social stability in Xinjiang, ensuring that the requirement for fully advancing China's law-based governance covers all areas of the work related to Xinjiang.