Senior Chinese leader pledges to ensure basic livelihood in Xinjiang

Senior Chinese leader Zhou Yongkang called on government departments at all levels on Sunday to ensure the basic livelihood of people and the industrial and agricultural production in Xinjiang "by all means".

Zhou, Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on the fourth day of his visit to Xinjiang.

He is here to visit the region on behalf of President Hu Jintao after the July 5 riot in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, which caused at least 184 deaths and injured 1,680 others.

Zhou stressed that to maintain social stability was the top concern of the livelihood of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang for the time being.

Zhou visited a food company and urged the company's leaders to guarantee the safety of the products and at the same time accelerate production to ensure the supply.

During his visit to the city center of electric power supply, Zhou expressed his appreciation for the hard work of all electric workers in the region to repair damaged power facilities.

Currently, the power consumption in the city already went back to the ordinary standard before the unrest.

"Everyone should do what they can to build together a concrete foundation for ethnic unity," Zhou said during a group talk with local residents of Han, Uygur and Hui.

Zhou was told the stories of a 81-year-old Uygur old man risking his life to save 18 people, and a Han boy named Li Huan who saved more than 10 people and even seized a rioter.

"Our country is a big family consisting of many ethnic groups. We've been going through all kinds of hardships and supporting each other... Your heroic behaviors proved that any attempt to induce ethnic conflicts will end in vain," Zhou said.