BEIJING - A senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for enhanced training of ethnic cadres in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Liu Yunshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks at a conference celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Xinjiang ethnic cadres training class.

Liu emphasized the key role of highly competent and patriotic ethnic cadres in maintaining stability and bringing long-term prosperity to the autonomous region.

Through training, officials should meet the requirements of having a firm political stance, high competence, strong integrity and becoming a stronghold to serve the people, he said.

The training courses should strengthen the education of ethnic officials' faith and ideals, so as to increase their recognition of the Chinese nation, Chinese culture and socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.

Liu also called on the officials to implement the guiding principles hailed by President Xi Jinping at the second central work conference on Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The work conference was held in late May, during which Xi called for "nets spread from the earth to the sky" to defend against terrorist acts in Xinjiang and stressed long-term stability as the main goal for the region.