A Tibetan woman smiles at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, 2012. [Photo by Xia Baohe/All rights reserved by chinadaily.com.cn]

At a recent conference on work related to the Tibet autonomous region and areas populated by Tibetans, President Xi Jinping urged participants and the whole nation to cultivate an awareness of Tibet-related work as it is relevant to the whole nation.

The importance attached to this work cannot be overemphasized, and Xi mapped out a strategic layout for better economic development and lasting stability in Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas in neighboring provinces, and this will serve as the guideline in the years ahead.

The central government has attached great importance to the work related to Tibet and adopted numerous policies and measures targeted at this region to promote its development and stability. In particular, a series of significant initiatives taken over the past decades have led to profound changes to the region, with local people's living conditions improved considerably.

But despite the enormous achievements, there are still challenges to be overcome and these call for greater efforts to advance the region's economic and social development.

Ethnic solidarity and social stability in Tibet and the Tibetan-populated areas play a significant role in national unity and security. So, any work related to Tibetans should aim at maintaining national unity and increasing the identification of all ethnic groups with the motherland.

In this sense, all work related to Tibet should center on how to improve local people's living conditions and enhance their cohesion as a part of broad national efforts to build a well-off society.

The above is an abridgement of a People's Daily editorial on Wednesday.