国内英语新闻:Senior leader urges religious believers to help promote development, stability

BEIJING, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Monday called for religious believers' role in promoting the country's economic development and social stability.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks when meeting with heads of national religious groups.

He urged religious groups in the country to pool the wisdom and strength of believers to explore ways of helping promote economic and social development.

He also asked them to help consolidate harmonious religious relations and help religious people build up national consciousness, civic consciousness and legal consciousness to ensure social harmony and stability.

During the meeting, Jia, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee,bid greetings to religious believers for the upcoming Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 14 this year.

He said 2009 was an important year for the country's religious work as the Party's basic policies on religious work were well implemented and people's religious freedom was fully ensured.

He said 2010 was a key year to cope with the financial crisis and it was also of great significance for the country's harmony and stability in the religious circle.