BEIJING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for leapfrog development and lasting stability in west China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Zhou Yongkang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said at a meeting on Tuesday that scientific and leapfrog development should be taken as a key to dealing with challenges and problems in Xinjiang.

Strengthening ethnic unity and social stability guarantees the multi-ethnic region's lasting stability, according to Zhou, also secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Political and Legal Affairs.

People's livelihoods should be improved steadfastly by refining their housing conditions, education, employment and social security, he said.

The official urged more enterprises, human resource, capital and technology to be introduced to Xinjiang and more efforts to solve the urgent and practical problems of the masses.

Work in townships, communities and villages should be prioritized in order to root out the soil breeding the "three forces" of violent terrorism, ethnic secessionism and religious extremism, Zhou said.

He said Xinjiang has undergone historical change through accelerated economic growth and the dramatically improved lives of locals.

More than 5 million people in the region have moved to welfare homes, and education in both the Chinese and Uygur languages as well as employment have been greatly improved during the past two years, the official said.