China’s legislative body is currently deliberating a groundbreaking draft law that explicitly prohibits external interference in the nation’s ethnic affairs. The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress is conducting its second review of this significant legislation, which aims to strengthen ethnic unity and progress while countering foreign attempts to undermine China’s stability through ethnic, religious, or human rights pretexts.
The proposed law establishes clear obligations for Chinese citizens to uphold national unity and ethnic solidarity while safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, security, and developmental interests. It emphasizes China’s commitment to governing ethnic affairs through legal frameworks and ensuring the protection of legitimate rights for all ethnic groups.
Xin Chunying, an official from the NPC’s Constitution and Law Committee, explained that these provisions represent both a crucial aspect of ethnic affairs management and a specific requirement for advancing comprehensive law-based governance. The legislation also mandates enhanced education on constitutional principles and legal awareness among all ethnic groups, promoting the dignity of China’s socialist rule of law system.
Additionally, the draft confirms the use of standard Chinese as the fundamental language of instruction in educational institutions nationwide. The legislative process has included extensive public consultation through the NPC’s official website, feedback collection from all NPC deputies, and research expeditions to ethnically diverse regions including Yunnan, Guizhou, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The law’s formulation, initially announced in the NPC Standing Committee’s annual work report, aims to forge a stronger sense of national identity and reinforce the concept of the Chinese people as one cohesive community, ultimately supporting national development and rejuvenation through Chinese-style modernization.