Fostering Unity Through the Rule of Law and Advancing Shared Prosperity Through Development

 

ON 1 July this year, the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law of the People’s Republic of China came into force. The law marks three historic firsts. For the first time, it incorporates General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thought on strengthening and improving work on ethnic affairs into national legislation. For the first time, it clarifies in legal terms such as fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and advancing the building of a community for the Chinese nation. For the first time, it defines in law the framework for work on ethnic affairs in the new era. It is a successful example of translating the major theoretical achievements and

practical experience in work on ethnic affairs into the will of the state through legislation, providing a solid legal foundation for promoting ethnic unity and progress in the new era.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce to our friends from all sectors in Myanmar the law’s guiding principles, institutional framework, and practical results, and to share China’s experience and thinking on promoting ethnic unity and progress through the rule of law.

First, the law establishes the fundamental principles for work on ethnic affairs by upholding equality among all ethnic groups and fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. From the outset, it makes equality among all ethnic groups the basic principle governing work on ethnic affairs and explicitly prohibits all forms of ethnic discrimination and oppression. It provides legal guarantees for the equal participation of all ethnic groups in state governance and for sharing the benefits of development. It upholds the combination of national unity and regional ethnic autonomy, as well as the combination of ethnic factors with regional factors, while safeguarding the equal rights of ethnic minorities in political,

economic, cultural, and other fields. Regardless of population size, every ethnic group is an equal member of the Chinese nation, united by a shared future. Guided by the goal of fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, the law fully respects cultural diversity. It protects by law the freedom of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, and the freedom to preserve or reform their customs and traditions. It uses the rule of law to uphold harmony among diverse cultures while enabling every ethnic culture to flourish in its own way.

Second, the law promotes integration and shared development by creating more opportunities for interaction and integration among all ethnic groups, encouraging people to live, study, work, and enjoy life together. Promoting extensive interaction and integration among ethnic groups is a central task set out in a dedicated chapter of the law. Today, two-way population mobility has become the norm in China. More than 33 million ethnic minority people live and work away from their registered hometowns, and over one-third of the ethnic minority population now resides in urban and dispersed areas. The pattern of “overall integration, local concentration, mutual interaction” continues to deepen. The law sets out detailed measures covering education, culture and tourism, sports, employment, and community development. It includes specific provisions for building integrated communities and promoting interaction and integration through education, cultural activities, sports, and tourism. These measures help people of different ethnic groups deepen mutual understanding, strengthen mutual respect, bridge differences, build consensus, and make the concept of the Chinese national community part of everyday life.

Third, the law focuses on improving people’s well-being through balanced development so that all ethnic groups can share the benefits of Chinese modernization. It is designed to promote common prosperity and development for all ethnic groups. Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, the combined GDP of China’s five ethnic autonomous regions has grown from RMB3.25 trillion to RMB8.66 trillion in recent years, more than doubling in size, while regional development gaps have continued to narrow. From the northern frontier to the south, and from the plateau to the border regions, ethnic minority areas have made major advances in transport, energy, communications, and other infrastructure. Public services in education, healthcare, housing, and social security have continued to improve. Behind these steady gains are real improvements in people’s sense of fulfilment and well-being.

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