URUMQI, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday urged efforts to bolster Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) to boost Xinjiang's development.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks at a meeting celebrating the XPCC's 70th founding anniversary in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

The vice premier led a central delegation to Xinjiang for the occasion.

Entrusted by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, He extended congratulations and greetings to people from various ethnic groups of the XPCC on behalf of central authorities.

A congratulatory letter sent by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission was read out at the meeting.

The XPCC was founded in 1954 by demobilized military personnel in Xinjiang and has over the past seven decades made pivotal contributions to boosting Xinjiang's development, strengthening ethnic unity and social stability, as well as guarding the borders, according to the letter.

He said the XPCC has blazed a new trail of land reclamation and development under the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics over the past 70 years. Generations of people from the XPCC have made tremendous sacrifices and contributions, and have accumulated many valuable experience, the vice premier said.

He called on the XPCC to fully tap its strengths in maintaining stability and defending border areas to serve Xinjiang's social stability, foster new industrial and sci-tech drivers to promote high-quality development, and leverage the reform and opening-up to construct the region into a "golden channel" between Asia and Europe and a bridgehead for China's westward opening up.