We should cherish our national unity

China is a national community in which all its ethnic groups are interdependent. The unified multi-ethnic country is spread over a vast territory and is home to a splendid culture. The foundation for the country has been laid by all its ethnic groups, and forms the basis of its national unity.

The country's ethnic groups have strengthened their social and emotional bonds over a long period. As our history of thousands of years shows, unity and stability bring development and prosperity, and benefit all the people, while secessionism and unrest result in stagnancy and distress, and damage the interest of every person. Therefore, national unity and social stability is where the highest national interests of Chinese nation, including 21 million residents of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, lie.

Three decades of reform and opening up have helped many ethnic minority areas to turn into booming economies, and Xinjiang is no exception. Chinese people should cherish their national unity, not violate it. They should preserve the hopeful development trend, not reverse it. And they should cash in on the historic opportunity, not let it slip by.