Greater efforts are to be made to appoint more officials from minority groups, the central government said in a guideline on Monday.

The document - Opinions on Strengthening and Improving Ethnic Work under the New Situations - says special attention should be paid to assisting the development of academics in ethnically diverse regions, especial those from minority backgrounds.

The guideline says the country should "vigorously foster, audaciously select, fully trust and use officials from ethnically diverse (backgrounds), and cultivate experienced Han officials in ethnically diverse regions".