The Chinese government honored role models who had made major contributions to ethnic harmony at a ceremony Tuesday, at which President Hu Jintao urged the promotion of harmony and prosperity among all ethnic groups.

At the ceremony, 739 organizations and 749 individuals received awards from the State Council (the Cabinet).

China would work hard to promote equal and harmonious relations of mutual help among all ethnic groups and improve social security and livelihoods in ethnic minority areas, said Hu in his keynote speech.

"We will ensure people from all ethnic groups to benefit from the reform and development," he said.

He urged authorities to learn from their past experiences in promoting ethnic unity and to explore new ways to promote harmony among all ethnic groups in China.

All members of the public should be mobilized to devote themselves to the cause of ethnic unity promotion, Hu said.

The public should all protect China's ethnic unity, social stability, and national integrity consciously, he said.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of China (CPC) should improve its leadership in promoting ethnic unity, and its capacity to handle ethnic problems in the "new environment," Hu said.

Authorities should build a team of high-standard officials and talents from ethnic minorities who are politically loyal to the CPC, and prestigious among the public, he said.

The ethnic officials must learn from each other, and shoulder the responsibilities to promote development and unity in ethnic minority areas and protect public security.

He also asked authorities to find and honor more role models who have made big contributions to ethnic harmony in order to educate the public in the promotion of ethnic unity.

Senior Chinese officials including Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun, Xi Jinping, Li Keqiang, He Guoqiang and Zhou Yongkang attended the ceremony.

(Xinhua News Agency September 29, 2009)