Chairman of the National Committeeof the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Jia Qinglin, has called for recognition of the importance of ethnic groups and religion, for the development of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the nation.

Jia, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, made this remark while presiding over a workshop Tuesday. He called for seriously studying Marxist theories on nationalities and religions as well as policies and laws concerning the issues of the party and the state.

The CPPCC should play a part for promoting unity between different ethnic groups and harmony between different religions by playing its own advantages, Jia said. He told CPPCC members to investigate minority people and religious groups and table useful and valuable proposals on the issues.

At the workshop, Professor Yang Shengmin, of the Central University for Nationalities, delivered a lecture on the ethnic and religious situation in the world and China, with the members of the Standing Committee of the CPPCC National Committee as his audience.

(Xinhua News Agency March 2, 2005)