China reviews draft law on promoting ethnic unity, progress

China is seeking to bolster the legal foundation for advancing high-quality development and common prosperity among its 56 ethnic groups, with a draft law on promoting ethnic unity and progress submitted to national lawmakers for deliberation on Thursday.

The draft was submitted to the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, for a third reading.

The law aims to translate "fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation" into the will of the state, said Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, in his explanatory remarks on the draft.

The official said the law was formulated to advance the governance of ethnic affairs within the framework of the rule of law.

The legal document articulates state support for high-quality development in areas with large ethnic minority populations and for promoting common prosperity among all ethnic groups, Li said, adding that specific provisions are set out on infrastructure construction, industrial development, public services, protection of natural resources, among others.

Many ethnic minority communities reside in mountainous areas, far-off regions or other historically underdeveloped parts of China. Benefiting from heavy government investment, the nationwide poverty reduction campaign and modernization drive, these regions have recorded rapid economic and social development.

Xizang Autonomous Region in southwest China, for instance, led the entire country in starting to provide 15 years of publicly-funded education from kindergarten to senior high in 2012. The 15-year free schooling has also been available in four southern prefectures in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China.

Lawmakers have expected the law to inject fresh momentum into ethnic minority regions by offering legal guarantees for ethnic unity and progress.

"It will make developing ethnic minority regions a statutory responsibility, which will ensure stable, long-term institutional support," said Chen Zhen, an NPC deputy from the Dong ethnic group in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Formulation of the law, initiated in 2023 before going through extensive consultations, has followed the principle of promoting common ground while respecting and accommodating differences, according to Li Hongzhong.

Targeting acts that erode ethnic unity, the draft stipulates that violent terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism will face criminal liability if constituting crimes.

Tursun Ebey, an associate professor at Xinjiang University, said ethnic unity constitutes "the lifeline of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang."

"This legal protection of ethnic unity will provide a greater sense of security and allow us to focus on pursuing development," he said.