President Hu Jintao called for Han Chinese and ethnic minorities in the country to work together on the eve of the 60th anniversary celebration, state media reported.
A grand ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, in the presence of all nine members of the powerful Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee, marked the climax of a recent streak of ethnic-related events apparently aimed at dispelling tension hanging over tomorrow's 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.
'Every ethnic group is a valuable, integral member of the great family of the motherland,' Hu said. Only ethnic unity could guarantee development and economic growth.
'If there is no struggle for ethnic unity, then there can be no prosperity. Promoting progress in ethnic unity is every citizen's sacred responsibility and glorious mission.'
But he also stressed there would be no changes in government policy. 'The facts eloquently prove that our country has been successful at solving ethnic issues ... the party's ethnic policies are totally correct,' he said.
Ethnic clashes in Tibet in March last year and nearly three months ago in Xinjiang rattled mainland authorities, who had been boasting of their success in maintaining good relations between the country's predominant Han population and other ethnic minorities. Beijing has blamed ethnic and religious extremism for unrest in both areas, rejecting calls to make amends by reshaping its policies.
