GUIYANG, March 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of adhering to high-quality development and driving growth by further deepening reform and opening-up comprehensively, during his inspection in southwest China's Guizhou Province from Monday to Tuesday.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called on the province to firm up confidence, work hard, and take steady steps to advance Chinese modernization.

On Monday afternoon, Xi visited a village of the Dong ethnic group in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. He inspected the surroundings and local shops, stopping from time to time to chat with store owners, tourists, and villagers.

At an exhibition center, he learned about the preservation and inheritance of Dong culture. He also observed the batik-making process at a specialty industrial base.

Xi emphasized that the cultures of ethnic minority groups are an integral part of Chinese culture and should be preserved as well as creatively transformed and developed.

The Chinese president also sat down with villagers for amiable chats. As he departed, Xi expressed the hope that they can further revitalize the countryside as the Chinese modernization advances.

Xi also visited the provincial capital Guiyang, where he heard the provincial authorities report their work on Tuesday.

Xi underscored the need to strengthen innovation-driven development with the real economy as the foundation. He called for actively developing strategic emerging industries and enhancing industries such as the digital economy and new energy.

He also asked the province to protect the environment well and transform its ecological strengths into development advantages.

Xi demanded resolute efforts to eliminate local protectionism, market segmentation and "rat race" competition to create a stable, fair, transparent and predictable environment for businesses.

Calling openness "an important element" of the business environment, Xi urged Guizhou to take an active part in the country's all-around opening up drive.

Xi emphasized the need to develop modern, efficient agriculture with distinctive mountain characteristics tailored to Guizhou's local conditions, while cultivating leading industries with regional features and lasting market competitiveness.

Highlighting Guizhou's rich historical heritage, vibrant revolutionary culture, and diverse ethnic traditions, he stressed the importance of harnessing these strengths to drive economic and social development.

Xi noted that achieving high-quality development requires unwavering adherence to the Party's leadership.

He noted the launch of a Party-wide education campaign to implement the Party central leadership's "eight-point decision" on improving conduct, saying that it is a key task for Party building this year.

He asked Party organizations at all levels to encourage Party members and officials to uphold exemplary conduct and make concentrated and concerted efforts to drive development.

Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, accompanied Xi on the inspection tour.