Chinese leader Luo Gan on Monday visited ethnic groups, PLA officers and soldiers, policemen and workers in Altay city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, to convey the central government's best regards to them on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the region's founding.

"In the past 50 years, overall strength in Altay has surged and the local people's living standard improved," said Luo Gan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, when visiting Altay, which is known for its mountains and lakes.

He encouraged the city to enhance the infrastructure construction in its rural and pasturing areas and promote shift of economic structure and growth mode.

"We should firmly fight against national splittism and terrorism and work hard to maintain a sound social order," said Luo, who is heading a delegation of Chinese central authorities to Xinjiang for celebration.

On the same day, Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu and vice-chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee Ismail Amat also visited other places of Xinjiang, expressing their festival greetings to Party members, soldiers, workers and members of ethnic groups there.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2005)