BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhuanet) -- China published a white paper on Monday saying that the country's regional autonomy system for ethnic minorities adopted half a century ago has been in conformity with the country's "peculiar situation" and proven to be in the common interests of all ethnic groups.

The 12,000-word document entitled Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China was issued by the Information Office of the State Council.

The system "is critical to enhancing the relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance among different ethnic groups, to upholding national unification, and to accelerating thedevelopment of places where regional autonomy is practiced and promoting their progress," the white paper says.

"This major historical decision (to pursue the regional autonomy system) was made out of consideration for the particular situation of China," the white paper says.

By the end of 2003, China had established 155 ethnic autonomousareas, which cover 64 percent of the country's entire territory.

"Before the founding of New China, the ethnic minority areas suffered from low productivity, and underdeveloped economy, society and culture," the white paper says. Most of their populations were illiterate, and they suffered epidemics of such contagious diseases as plague, smallpox and malaria. "Some were onthe verge of extinction," it says.

As a result of over half a century's efforts, in the ethnic autonomous areas the people's living conditions and environments have conspicuously improved, people there now "share the achievements of development brought about by the modernization construction of the country," the document says.

In 2003, the GDP of China's ethnic autonomous areas reached 1,038.1 billion yuan (125 billion US dollars), exceeding 1,000 billion yuan for the first time. The per-capita net income of rural residents in ethnic autonomous areas was 1,895 yuan, 2.31 times that in 1994.