BEIJING - Top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Tuesday met with a visiting group comprised of people from various ethnic minority groups, urging them to make more efforts to push forward ethnic unity in China.

The group consists of individuals from across the country who were honored by the State Council, or China's Cabinet, in 2009 for their outstanding contributions to ethnic unity. The group will visit other destinations in addition to Beijing, including Eastern China's Jiangsu province and Shanghai.

"Organizing visits for people of ethnic groups is an important move to strengthen ethnic unity as well as a tradition in our country's ethnic work... It is also an opportunity for them to learn new things and improve themselves," said Jia, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Jia called on workers in ethnic affairs to take advantage of the country's policies favorable to improving the economies and livelihoods of ethnic regions and to resolutely fight any separatist activities.

Jia said that the program has been organized annually since the founding of the New China, and expressed the hope that the visiting group could cherish the opportunity to learn and think more.