BEIJING -- Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, participated in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region delegation's deliberation at the Fifth Session of the 13th National People's Congress on Saturday.

Xi himself is a member of the delegation. He stressed that ethnic unity is the lifeline of all ethnic groups in the country and a strong sense of community is key to ethnic unity. Efforts must be made to strengthen such sense by furthering education on ethnic unity, he added. Efforts should also be made to let people cultivate the awareness that people from all ethnicities are in the same community, where they share weal and woe, stick together in life and death, Xi said. Seeds in a pomegranate are what Xi used to describe how all ethnic groups can stick together as long as the sense of Chinese nation as a community being the foundation for ethnic unity can be laid. Only with ethnic unity will people from all ethnic groups join hands in building our country, Xi said. A stable and healthy economic environment is important, and so is social stability and political integrity. Ethnic unity is essential to all these, Xi said. We must do a good job in all areas to greet the convening of the 20th National Congress of the CPC, he said.

The atmosphere was warm and active in the delegation's panel deliberation. Deputies Zhang Lei, Guo Yanling, Jia Run'an, Wang Xiaohong, Feng Yanli, Zhao Huijie and Shi Yudong shared their opinions with others on how the new development philosophy can be carried out in an accurate, extensive and down-to-earth manner in the conservation of grassland ecology. They also talked about how the philosophy can be materialized in furthering the coal chemical industry to contribute to carbon emissions peaking and carbon neutrality. Cultivating a sense of community for the Chinese nation can be integrated into the entire process of school education, they said. High-quality development, rural revitalization and better development of the dairy industry are also topics they talked about. Xi took down notes of what they said and once in a while would put in a word.

Having listened carefully to the deputies, Xi made a speech. First, he expressed approval of the Report on the Work of the Government and recognition of Inner Mongolia's work in the past year. He hoped that the people in Inner Mongolia would resolutely implement the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee, coordinate efforts in epidemic control and economic and social development, unswervingly follow the path of high-quality development that prioritizes ecological conservation and pursues green development, and fully fulfill their political responsibilities of safeguarding national ecological, energy, food and industrial security. He also hoped the region would forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, push forward the full and rigorous self-governance of the Party, add more charm to the northern border region, and write a new chapter of high-quality development in the new era.

In 2021, China has made comprehensive advancements in reform, development and stability, with new and major achievements attained in the pursuit of the cause of the Party and the country, Xi noted. The CPC has solemnly celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Party, carried out the initiatives to study the Party's history, held the sixth plenary session of its 19th Central Committee, and adopted a resolution on the Party's historical experience and achievements over the past century. Having won the critical battle against poverty and completed the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects on schedule, China is striding forward on a new journey toward the second centenary goal of fully building a modern socialist country. Always putting the people and their lives first, China has guarded against both imported COVID-19 cases and domestic resurgences, and adhered to a dynamic zero-COVID approach in a science-based and targeted way. While ensuring constant efforts on routine epidemic prevention and control, China has maintained a leading position in both economic growth rate and epidemic control globally, and got the 14th Five-Year Plan off to a good start. China has also successfully hosted the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games by presenting a simple, safe and splendid event to the world. The Chinese athletes strived and achieved the country's best-ever results at the Winter Games. These achievements bear a great significance to the pursuit of the cause of the Party and the country.