URUMQI - A senior Chinese official said on Saturday that armed police should make 24-hour patrol on all weather conditions in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to guarantee the safety of local people.

The call was made Saturday night by Meng Jianzhu, secretary of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee.

Xinjiang was hit by violent terrorist attacks in the past few days.

At a gathering for mobilizing anti-terror efforts held in Urumqi, capital of the autonomous region, Meng said the armed police should cooperate with local public security organs to take preventive measures, and carry out 24-hour patrol on all weather conditions to protect the safety of the public.

Meng asked armed police in Xinjiang to take precautionary and preemptive measures to strike hard on violent terrorist crimes so as to ensure a peaceful and happy life for people of all ethnic groups in the region.

The official said Xinjiang currently boasts a generally good situation regarding economic and social development. However, the "three forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism in and outside the country have never given up their attempt to stir up chaos in Xinjiang and tried all means to carry out sabotage activities.

The recent violent terror attacks brought severe harm to life and property of local people and social stability in Xinjiang, Meng said, calling on the armed police forces to resolutely implement the CPC Central Committee's decision and deployment, to give a hard strike on criminals.

The official also praised armed police's contribution in safeguarding stability and ethnic unity in Xinjiang.