A monument in Pu'er, Yunnan, carries the solemn pledge of various ethnic groups to stay united and follow the leadership of the Communist Party of China. [Photo provided to China Daily]

President Xi Jinping has encouraged people of various ethnic groups in Pu'er, Yunnan province, to bear in mind forging the sense of community for the Chinese nation to promote ethnic unity and progress.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to descendants of the representatives from diverse ethnic groups who erected a monument in 1951 in Pu'er and made a solemn pledge to stay united and follow the leadership of the Party.

Xi said in the letter that over the past seven decades and more, people from all ethnic groups have stood in solidarity with the Party and worked in unity, making historic achievements in the economic and social development of border areas.

He emphasized the importance of unity among the Chinese nation, describing the nation as a big family where 56 ethnic groups love and care for each other.

Xi expressed the hope that those who wrote to him would carry forward the glorious traditions of their ancestors and continue the legacy of ethnic unity from generation to generation.

People of all ethnic groups should forge the sense of community for the Chinese nation, jointly safeguard the nation's territory and build a better homeland for greater ethnic unity and progress, he said.

In 1950, representatives of different ethnic groups in Pu'er were invited to Beijing to participate in celebrations marking the first anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. On Jan 1, 1951, the people of Pu'er held an oath-taking rally to put up the monument in accordance with their customs. A total of 48 representatives signed their names on the monument.

Their descendants recently wrote to Xi, providing an update on the lives of local ethnic communities under the Party's leadership. They expressed their commitment to upholding the pledge made by their ancestors to follow the Party and contributing to the ethnic unity and prosperity of the border areas.