JAKARTA - The Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that the purpose of the newly implemented Ethnic Unity and Progress Law is to make various ethnic groups in China mutually help each other.
"We want to emphasize that China is a multiethnic country where various ethnic groups are all equal and united in a harmonious relationship of mutual assistance," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun at a press conference in Beijing, Friday, July 3, reported by ANTARA.
The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law will come into force on July 1, 2026 after being approved at a session of the National People's Congress (NPC) parliament with the aim of improving cohesion and shared prosperity among all 56 ethnic groups in China.
The Chinese government says the population of 55 minority ethnic groups in the country (other than the Han) is more than 125 million according to the 2020 census.
However, in a statement, an EU spokesperson said the law could further restrict the cultural, linguistic and religious rights of ethnic minorities.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, a spokesperson for the US State Department called the law "problematic" because it forced people outside of China to "actively promote the Chinese Communist Party's 'ethnic unity' agenda, or face retaliation from Chinese authorities.
"Strengthening the rule of law is beneficial to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups and improving ethnic unity," Guo Jiakun added.
The Chinese government, according to Guo Jiakun, attaches great importance to the preservation of the culture of ethnic minorities, and legally protects the right of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.
"Our practices and achievements in this field have been widely recognized by the international community. Certain countries, trapped in ideological prejudice and driven by political manipulation, choose to turn a blind eye to China's progress in socio-economic development and human rights protection," said Guo Jiakun.
Instead, they took things out of context, deliberately slandered China's ethnic policies as well as fabricated and spread false information.
"With such a large intervention in China's internal affairs, they are trying to undermine ethnic unity in China. We firmly reject these actions and urge the relevant countries to respect the clear facts, stop spreading lies, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs by exaggerating ethnic issues," said Guo Jiakun.
The law stipulates that upholding national unity and ethnic solidarity is the responsibility of all Chinese citizens and prohibits discrimination and oppression against any ethnic group.
In addition, the law also combats violent terrorism, ethnic separatism, and religious extremism, and criminalizes the planners, perpetrators, instigators, and funders of these activities.
Then the law also stipulates supporting measures for cultural integration, social mixing, and economic development in ethnic minority areas.
Special provisions direct the central and regional governments to strengthen infrastructure, encourage industrial growth, ensure better access to public services, and increase efforts to protect the environment, among other measures.
The reason is because many ethnic minority communities live in mountainous areas, remote areas, or parts of China that are historically underdeveloped.
The Chinese government said that during the 18th movement of absolute poverty alleviation efforts, China has been free of absolute poverty since 2021 so that all 420 poor counties at the provincial level with a majority of ethnic minorities from 28 groups have been free of absolute poverty, including the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The law also stipulates that the state must promote standard spoken and written Mandarin, while respecting and protecting the right to learn and use ethnic minority languages.
However, the Special Rapporteur of the PPBB for Minority Rights and Cultural Rights, who said the law had been used to justify forced assimilation in areas such as Tibet and Xinjiang, rather than promoting ethnic harmony.
Because Article 63 of the law states that "organizations and individuals outside mainland China who commit crimes aimed at (China) that undermine ethnic unity and progress or create ethnic divisions must be prosecuted in accordance with the law", according to the translation.
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