BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend a grand gathering on Thursday in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in celebration of the region's 70th founding anniversary.

The event to be attended by Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, is scheduled to start at 10:30 a.m. Thursday and will be broadcast live by China Media Group and on Xinhuanet.