FUZHOU - A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has urged more efforts in accelerating the thorough transformation of the country's economic development pattern.

He Guoqiang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a three-day inspection tour in the southeastern province of Fujian, which ended Wednesday.

The transformation generally aims to get the country's economy on a path of endogenous growth driven by innovation.

Accelerating that transformation was the urgent priority in the country's economic development and would help the economy in maintaining a steady and rapid growth, said He.

He instructed local businesses and authorities to optimize and upgrade the industrial structure and to boost the region's independent innovation capability in order to be more competitive.

While inspecting the ports, shipping center and an comprehensive experimental zone along the southeast coastline, He urged the region to take full advantage of its geographical position at the Taiwan Straits and to implement a more active opening-up strategy in promoting cross-straits exchange and cooperation.

While visiting residential areas and infrastructure construction sites, He called on local authorities to do more piloting projects in coordinating urban and rural development as well as regional development, adding that biological-diversity and environmental protection should be highlighted during the economic development.

Moreover, He also addressed cultural sectors during his inspection.

The protection and utilization of traditional cultural elements unique to each area should be enhanced so as to boost their cultural soft power, He noted.

On Monday, He, on behalf of the CPC central committee and the central government, attended the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Xiamen special economic zone.