KUNMING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese legislator Li Hongzhong has called for forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and promoting high-quality economic and social development in the country's border areas with large ethnic minority populations.

Li, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, made the remarks during an inspection tour in southwest China's Yunnan Province from Thursday to Saturday.

During the trip, Li visited communities and villages to learn about local efforts to promote ethnic unity and progress and to improve rural governance. He also learned about progress on the ecological conservation of Dianchi Lake in Kunming, the provincial capital.

He emphasized the importance of promoting further ethnic unity and progress, of facilitating extensive exchange and interactions among different ethnic groups, of handling ethnic affairs in accordance with the law, and of improving the governance capacity for ethnic affairs. ■