RELIGIOUS HARMONY
During his tour, Xi visited Xincheng Mosque in Yinchuan. Xi has called for efforts to promote religious and social harmony while guarding against illegal infiltration via religious means.
"No matter whether local or imported, our country's religions have been deeply imprinted into the Chinese civilization, with a history of more than 5,000 years, and have been deeply integrated into our social life," Xi said.
The president called on authorities to stick to the CPC's religious policies, carry out religion-related work in a law-based manner, and guide religions to adapt better to socialist society.
More efforts should be made to "direct religious figures and believers to respect and abide by the law, resolutely guard against illegal infiltration via religious means, and promote religious and social harmony," he said.
Education on national unity and progress should be enhanced to strengthen the idea that the Han ethnic group and various ethnic minority groups are inseparable from one another, Xi said.
Economic and social development should be accelerated in regions mainly inhabited by ethnic minority groups so as to promote unity and cohesion, the president added.
Xi also called on religious circles to interpret Islamic doctrine well, publicize latest achievements in interpretation, foster religious personnel, especially among the middle-aged and the young, and better serve and guide believers.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The Chinese president underscored the implementation of the nation's new development concepts of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared growth, while urging improved environmental protection during his trip.
Xi noted that Ningxia is an important ecological security barrier in northwestern China, and said construction of "green barriers" should be strengthened.
Protection of water resources should be reinforced, especially at headstreams and significant lakes and wetlands, to prevent water pollution, he said.
The president also called for the protection of the Yellow River, saying pollution of the river, known as China's "Mother River," must be eliminated.
China's economy made progress while remaining stable in general terms in the first half of the year, Xi said.
The country should work to tackle deep-rooted problems that constrain its economic growth, and seek solid economic foundations and longer-term benefits in order to improve the quality, efficiency and competitiveness of its economy, said Xi.
He said the new development concepts -- proposed in the country's roadmap for social and economic development for 2016-2020 -- shall be integrated throughout the entire process of China's social and economic development and its efforts to build a "moderately prosperous society" in an all-round way.
In China's supply-side structural reform, less developed regions should seek new achievements just as developed regions do, Xi said.
Authorities should properly handle relations between supply and demand and between the government and the market, and make sure that the market is allowed to play a decisive role in allocating resources while the government plays a better role.
Less developed regions could benefit from the innovation-driven development strategy and seek to improve their strength in scientific innovation through interaction with, or help from, China's eastern and more developed areas, Xi said.
During his tour in Ningxia, Xi arrived in Jiangtaipu in Xiji County, Guyuan City, to visit the memorial site commemorating the joining together of forces in the Long March. He laid a wreath at the monument, and called for carrying forward the spirit of old revolutionaries.
In the Ningdong energy-chemical industry base, Xi inspected the world's biggest coal-to-oil project.
