Lawmakers from the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held a panel discussion during the annual session of the National People's Congress. They said stability is key to Xinjiang's development. Our reporter Su Yuting has more.

President Xi Jinping has stressed that people's aspirations for a better life should be the focus of the government's efforts. The same principle applies to their work in ethnic minority regions. Shohrat Zakir, chairman of Xinjiang's regional government, said people from all ethnic groups in the region today have a growing sense of happiness and security. He said stability brings growth, adding that Xinjiang has become a more popular tourist destination.

SHOHRAT ZAKIR, NPC DEPUTY CHAIRMAN OF XINJIANG REGIONAL GOVERNMENT "Tourism is seen as a barometer of Xinjiang's stability and harmony. The region received more than 100 million tourists in 2017, an increase of 32.4 percent from the previous year. The figure shows that stability is required for development and is the foundation of people's well-being."

Other NPC deputies emphasized promoting national unity. They said effective measures have been taken to implement the party's targeted poverty alleviation policies to improve people's livelihood.

WANG GANG, NPC DEPUTY MAYOR OF KARAMAY, XINJIANG "According to the requirements of high-quality growth, we will continue to seek new growth drivers. Karamay is an oil-rich city in west China. We will use new technologies to advance supply-side structural reform and upgrade our development model."

SU YUTING BEIJING "During last year's Two Sessions, President Xi Jinping joined the panel discussion with lawmakers from Xinjiang. A year after, NPC deputies said Xinjiang has maintained social stability and achieved healthy economic growth, and more efforts will be made to boost peace and development in the region. Su Yuting, CGTN, Beijing.