BEIJING, May 8 (Xinhua) -- China's top political advisor Jia Qinglin on Friday called on overseas Chinese to contribute to the development of the Tibet Autonomous Region and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Jia, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, made the remarks when meeting representatives of a conference of overseas Chinese societies.

He hoped overseas Chinese could invest more in Xinjiang and Tibet autonomous regions, in China's northwest and southwest respectively, and contribute their wisdom so to help with the regions' reform and opening up, and sustainable development.

Contacts between overseas Uygurs, Tibetans and members of other Chinese ethnic groups should be enhanced, Jia said.

He also called on overseas Chinese to be "firm supporters" of national unity, and publicize the development in the two autonomous regions and China's policies concerning the ethnic groups and their religions to help the world to better understand China.

In a speech delivered at the conference's opening ceremony, State Councilor Dai Bingguo said he hoped overseas Chinese would contribute more to safeguarding China's territorial integrity, realizing its reunification, as well as passing on Chinese cultural values.