BEIJING, May 29  -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on all ethnic groups in the far-west Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to show respect, tolerance and appreciation for each other, in a bid to boost ethnic unity in the region.

Speaking during a central work conference on Xinjiang's development that concluded on Thursday, Xi described ethnic unity an issue of utmost importance in the long run.

He said all ethnic groups in Xinjiang must "show mutual understanding, respect, tolerance and appreciation among themselves, and learn and help each other," so that they could be united together "like seeds of a pomegranate".

"The more separatists attempt to sabotage our ethnic unity, the more we should try to reinforce it," the president said, adding that unity is the "lifeline" for people of all ethnic backgrounds.

Efforts must be made to allow all ethnic groups to contribute to the Chinese dream of great rejuvenation, and to share the fruit of China's development and prosperity, according to Xi.

He suggested that authorities should strengthen exchanges and communication between different ethnic groups, promote bilingual education, and strive for a more integrated social structure and community environment where people are not grouped solely based on their ethnicity.

They should also allow and encourage more people from minority ethnic groups to receive eduction, work or live in other parts of the country, so as to enhance mutual understanding among different ethnic groups and boost ties between them, Xi said.

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