Post by : Shakul

China is preparing to approve a new law aimed at promoting “ethnic unity and progress,” a move that has raised concerns among academics and human rights groups who say it could further weaken the rights and cultural identities of the country’s ethnic minorities. The legislation is expected to be passed during the annual session of the National People’s Congress (NPC) in Beijing.

Chinese authorities say the law is designed to strengthen national unity and accelerate modernisation by encouraging greater integration among China’s 56 officially recognised ethnic groups. Officials argue that the policy will help create a shared national identity and support economic development in minority regions.

However, critics say the legislation could expand policies already associated with President Xi Jinping’s push for the “Sinicisation” of religion and culture, which encourages minority communities to adopt the language, customs, and political values of the dominant Han Chinese majority. Han Chinese people make up more than 90% of China’s population, while the remaining groups include Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, Hui Muslims, and dozens of other ethnic minorities.

Analysts say the law may strengthen the use of Mandarin Chinese as the main language in education and public life, potentially reducing the role of minority languages in schools and universities. It also emphasises teaching young people loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and prohibits actions considered harmful to “ethnic unity.”

Beijing has long argued that stronger national integration is necessary to maintain stability in border regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia, areas that are rich in natural resources and strategically important for trade routes connecting China to Central Asia and beyond.

These regions have experienced periods of unrest in the past. Deadly clashes between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in Urumqi in 2009 left nearly 200 people dead, while protests in Tibet in 2008 led to violent crackdowns by Chinese security forces. Chinese authorities say strict security measures were introduced to prevent separatism and terrorism.

Human rights organisations and the United Nations, however, have accused China of widespread abuses against minority groups. Reports have alleged that over one million Uyghur Muslims have been detained in camps in Xinjiang, which Beijing describes as vocational education and training centres designed to counter extremism.

In recent years, tensions have also emerged in Inner Mongolia over restrictions on Mongolian language education and in Ningxia over mosque demolitions affecting Hui Muslim communities. Critics argue that the new law may further institutionalise policies aimed at assimilating minority cultures into the dominant Han identity.

Chinese officials reject these accusations and say the law will ensure stronger governance in ethnic regions while helping them integrate into national development plans. Government representatives maintain that the legislation will strengthen social stability and create a “shared sense of community for the Chinese nation.”

Experts say the significance of the law lies less in its legal enforcement and more in the message it sends about China’s long-term political direction. By formalising policies that encourage cultural integration, the government appears determined to reinforce a unified national identity under the leadership of the Communist Party.

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