Peng Qinghua, vice-chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, led a team to North China's Hebei province from April 17 to 22 to survey the legislative progress in the work on ethnic affairs and the high-quality development of ethic areas.

Peng stressed that the country should uphold the centralized and united leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over legislation on work on ethnic affairs, push for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, fundamentally raise the legislation quality concerning ethnic affairs, make full use of the guiding and regulatory roles of the rule of law, and advance the modernization of the system and capacity for law-based governance of ethnic affairs.

The survey team visited autonomous counties, townships and villages as well as  the enterprises and educational bases for ethnic unity in the cities of Qinhuangdao, Chengde and Shijiazhuang, where they heard reports on legislative progress, the development of rural collective economy, the improvement of farmers' income, the protection of intangible cultural heritage, ecological civilization building and the adherence to the successful experience of Saihanba forest farm project in ethnic minority areas, and held in-depth exchanges with ethnic minority people.

Peng fully acknowledged the extraordinary work by Hebei in promoting the development of ethnic areas, noting that the province must promote the building of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, integrate the requirements of protection of lawful rights and interests of ethnic groups into related laws and regulations.

Efforts should also be made to utilize the achievements of the surveys and research, address pressing issues of high concern to ethnic groups, advance high-quality development of economic and social affairs in ethnic areas, and strengthen the exchanges between various ethnic groups.

During their stay in Hebei, the inspection team also attended an exhibition on the history and development of the people's congress system in the province.