Xinhua News Agency:

You just mentioned that "forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people" is the key work of the Party in the new era, and all the work must focus on it. In the past decade, what work have you done regarding this aspect, and what's your plan for the future? Thank you.

Zhao Yong:

Thanks for your concern on this issue. The fundamental requirement for forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is that people of all ethnic groups should foster the following concept: we share a common future, a common stake, and the same destiny, and the rough times and the smooth with each other. Forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is necessary for realizing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, safeguarding the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups, consolidating and developing socialist ethnic relations, and starting a new chapter of the Party's work on ethnic groups in the new era.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, we have carried out concrete work to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and achieved positive results. Our work mainly focused on the following aspects:

First, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is guided by ideological work. We have consistently armed officials and led the people with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, guided the people of all ethnic groups to take it as their duty to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, and earnestly fulfilled the obligation of safeguarding ethnic unity enshrined in the Constitution to contribute to building the community among the Chinese people.

Second, a strong community among the Chinese people is integrated into education. We have combined the sense of community among the Chinese people with national education, officials education, and social education. In terms of national education, we have introduced the concept of a sense of community among the Chinese people into textbooks, classrooms, and evaluation systems. Many schools are now doing such work. In officials education, we have introduced the sense of community among the Chinese people into learning content of central Party leadership groups at all levels and in training courses of the Party schools and administrative institutes. Regarding social education, we are communicating and guiding 1.4 billion people to let them know the following lessons. The "one community" refers to the community among the Chinese people; the "two visions" are to create a better future for the Chinese nation and share the great glory of national rejuvenation; the "three awareness" means national awareness, civic awareness, and awareness of the rule of law; the "four sharing" means to share a common future, a common stake, and the same destiny, and share the rough times and the smooth: the "five identifications" mean the identifications of the motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Third, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is nourished by culture. To enhance the identification of Chinese culture, which is the most fundamental identification among people of all ethnic groups, we have created and established a series of Chinese cultural symbols shared by all ethnic groups, published a suite of popular literary and art works of Chinese cultural connotations, carried out a bunch of colorful cultural activities of Chinese cultural connotation, and popularized and promoted Mandarin.

Fourth, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is embodied in development. Just now, I mentioned that we had adopted a series of differentiated support policies, made good use of minority development funds, launched many industrial projects for high-quality development, and further promoted the action plan to boost development in the border regions to benefit the people living there. By doing so, people of all ethnic groups shared achievements of reform and development and realized that only when the country was strong and the Chinese nation was well could we live a good life.

Fifth, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is enhanced through communication. We have removed all obstacles to the exchanges and integration of all ethnic groups and promoted the orderly movement of all ethnic groups between urban and rural areas and different regions. In the past decade, the depth and breadth of exchanges, communication, and integration among all ethnic groups have never been greater. Through interwoven development, people of all ethnic groups have strengthened their sense of community; we depend closely on each other.

Sixth, the rule of law guarantees a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. We have written the "Chinese nation" into the Constitution, written "forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people" into the new revision of the laws of the local people's congress and government at all levels, and promoted seven provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities to formulate rules for national unity and progress. We also improved preferential policies for ethnic minority students to get additional scores in the university entrance examination. Through these efforts, forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people has been gradually brought into the track of the rule of law.

Seventh, a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is fulfilled during opening up. We have used various forms to tell the story of China and the Chinese nation to the world, participated in international dialogue and exchanges on human rights and promoted building a community with a shared future for mankind through building the community among the Chinese people. During my trip to Taijiang county, Guizhou province, not long ago, I met Pan Yuzhen, a 76-year-old inheritor of Miao embroidery. She has visited more than a dozen foreign countries, and traveled to the U.S. 10 times. Once, she performed Miao embroidery and sang Miao songs at the square in front of the White House, attracting tens of thousands of local people to watch. Thanks to her performance, the beauty of Miao embroidery and the beauty of Chinese culture is presented to the world, as well as the unique charm of an increasingly open China and an increasingly prosperous community among the Chinese people.

Of course, forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people is a long and historical process, which asks us all to make strenuous efforts together. Next, we will focus on the major strategic task of forging a strong sense of community among the Chinese people, continue to take problem-oriented approaches, keep to the right path and make innovations, and pursue progress while ensuring stability. Through these efforts, we will establish a sense of cultural belonging for the Chinese nation, propel people of all ethnic groups to socialist modernization, promote exchanges, communication, and integration among all ethnic groups, and improve the management system and capability of addressing ethnic affairs to a modernized level. We will take tangible, sensible, and practical measures to forge a strong sense of community among the Chinese people. More concrete means will be introduced, and more projects will be launched to generate a strong sense of community among the Chinese. The sense of participation and fulfillment will be enhanced among people of all ethnic groups. The results of our practical work will be reflected in strengthening a strong sense of community among the Chinese people and improving the cohesion of the Chinese nation. Thank you.