LHASA - Vice President Xi Jinping on Tuesday visited senior officers of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the People's Armed Police Force and the police forces stationed in Tibet.

Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), conveyed greetings from the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the CMC to the officers.

Xi expressed his appreciation for their contributions to the security of the country's southwestern border as well as their contributions to the social stability and development of Tibet.

"The social stability in Tibet matters to the country's stability, and Tibet's security matters to national security," Xi said.

Xi called on the officers to always be sober-minded and improve their preparedness in safeguarding the national unity, security and in maintaining the stability in Tibet.

He asked the forces to take concrete measures to improve their capabilities in taking preventative actions and handling emergency situations.

He also told the officers to follow the country's ethnic and religious policies and strengthen ethnic unity in their work.