President Xi Jinping on Thursday attended a grand gathering in Urumqi to celebrate the 70th founding anniversary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Top officials who addressed the gathering said Xinjiang's economy expanded substantially over the years, and people's livelihoods had greatly improved.

The chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Wang Huning, urged the region to continue to leverage its resources and industrial capabilities to pursue high-quality development.

He stressed the importance of deepening reforms and maintaining stability in the region.

President Xi and his delegation arrived on Tuesday in the regional capital, where he attended a series of activities and met representatives of different ethnic groups.

According to Xinhua, Xi "expressed the hope that everyone would join forces and move forward together to build a beautiful Xinjiang".

The president noted that since the founding of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 70 years ago, earthshaking changes took place in the region, and Xinjiang has now joined the rest of the country in embarking on a new journey of building a modern socialist country.

Xi called on Xinjiang to promote the cultural tourism industry, enhance preservation and restoration of ecosystems, accelerate development, and give priority to ensuring and improving people's living standards. (Xinhua)