BEIJING - A symposium was held Friday in Beijing on Xi Jinping's thought about improving the work on ethnic affairs.

The thought of Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, about ethnic affairs should be carefully studied and understood, said Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at the symposium.

The Party's work on ethnic affairs should be carried out with a strong sense of responsibility and mission, Wang added.

He said that Xi's thought about improving the work on ethnic affairs summarizes the historic achievements the Party has made and the valuable experience it has gained about ethnic work over the past century, particularly in the new era, and should be implemented throughout the entire work related to ethnic affairs.

Fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation should be the main task, Wang said, calling for solid progress in modernization for ethnic minorities and in areas where they inhabit.

Wang also stressed the need to develop an accurate understanding of the history of the Chinese nation and encourage more communication and exchanges among different ethnic groups, while strengthening the overall leadership of the Party in the work on ethnic affairs.