URUMQI -- President Xi Jinping attended on Thursday a grand gathering in celebration of the 70th founding anniversary of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Urumqi, the regional capital.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, joined local officials and members of the public from all ethnic groups and all walks of life in the event.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and head of the central delegation, attended the event and delivered a speech. Cai Qi, director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, was also present at the gathering. Both Wang and Cai are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

The gathering commenced at around 10:30 am. All participants stood in unison and sang the national anthem.

A congratulatory message from the CPC Central Committee, the National People's Congress Standing Committee, the State Council, the CPPCC National Committee, and the Central Military Commission was read out at the gathering.