China is poised to pass a new law aimed at promoting what the government calls “ethnic unity and progress,” a move human rights activists and academics warn could further threaten the rights of the country’s 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities.
The law, expected to be approved during China’s annual parliamentary session later this week, expands existing policies to enforce the assimilation of minority groups into the dominant Han culture. Critics say it accelerates efforts to curb minority languages, cultural practices, and religious expression.
Among its provisions, the law prioritizes Mandarin over other languages, encourages intermarriage between Han and minority groups by limiting restrictions, and requires parents to guide minors to “love the Chinese Communist Party.” It also broadly prohibits actions deemed harmful to “ethnic unity.”
Xi Jinping has repeatedly emphasized the “Sinicisation of religion,” requiring religious practices to align with Party-approved interpretations of Chinese culture and values. Experts say the new legislation codifies measures that have already been implemented in regions such as Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia.
Aaron Glasserman, a scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, noted: “Whether it is the promotion of Mandarin or the restrictions on expression of ethnic minority identity, religious practices, and so forth, the regime is saying that all that stuff we did is correct and we are so confident in that, that we are going to now elevate what was previously just policy to the level of basic law.”
Ethnic minority populations in China range from tens of thousands to millions, but areas such as Tibet, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia are strategically significant, rich in resources, and border multiple countries. Analysts say the law enables Beijing to consolidate control over these regions.
The law also affects marriage practices by limiting interference from religious authorities or families, effectively promoting the integration of minority groups into Han society. Glasserman explained that the law “makes it harder for the informal process to block inter-ethnic marriages, increasing the likelihood that minority cultural practices are absorbed into Han norms.”
Historically, China has faced tensions in Tibet and Xinjiang, with violent clashes and uprisings documented over the decades. Reports from international rights organizations indicate that over a million Uyghurs have been detained in so-called “re-education” centers, while Tibetan and Mongolian cultural and educational practices have been curtailed.
Critics warn that the new legislation formalizes a process of cultural assimilation, consolidating state control over minority identities and eroding autonomy that these groups have historically sought to preserve.
