By K J M VarmaBeijing, Oct 29 (PTI) President Xi Jinping has toldherdsmen from a Tibetan settlement bordering Arunachal Pradeshto "set down roots" to safeguard "Chinese territory" and focuson developing their hometown.
"Without peace in the territory, there will be nopeaceful lives for the millions of families," Xi, who beganhis second term in office after the once-in-five-yearsCongress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) thisweek endorsed his second tenure, wrote to a herding family inLhunze County in Tibet, official media reported today.
Xi told the herding family from Lhunze County, near theHimalayas in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, to setdown roots in the border area, safeguard "Chinese territory"and develop their hometown.
India asserts that the Sino-Indian border dispute coversthe 4,057-km Line of Actual Control, while China claims it isconfined to about 2,000 kms to the area of Arunachal Pradesh,which it refers to as Southern Tibet.
The family is based in Yumai, China's smallest town interms of population at the southern foot of the Himalayas,where steep slopes and rugged paths make it difficult to live,state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
Xi acknowledged the family's efforts to "safeguard theterritory, and thanked them for the loyalty and contributionsthey have made in the border area," the report said.
Xi, who also heads the Central Military Commission - theoverall high command of the Chinese military, made the remarksin a reply delivered to the Tibetan herders yesterday, afterthey wrote to him introducing their township, the Xinhuareport said.
The Chinese president hoped that the family wouldmotivate more herders to set down roots in the border area"like galsang flowers," and become guardians of Chineseterritory and builders of a happy hometown.
Fresh off the 19th CPC Congress, Xi told the family thatthe party would continue to lead people of all ethnic groupstowards better lives, the report said.
Two girls - Zhoigar and Yangzom - from the Tibetan familywrote the letter to Xi while the Congress was in session inBeijing, telling him their experiences in safeguarding theborder area and the development of their township over theyears. PTI KJVKUN.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.