• China’s National People’s Congress (NPC) is expected to approve a new “ethnic unity” law during its annual legislative session.
• The law aims to strengthen a shared national identity among China’s ethnic groups under the concept of a unified Chinese nation.
• It prioritizes Mandarin Chinese in education and public life, reducing the role of minority languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian.
• Authorities frame the law as promoting “ethnic unity and progress” and national cohesion.
• Critics (including rights groups) say it institutionalizes assimilation policies and increases political control over minority groups.
• The law is tied to Xi Jinping’s “Sinicisation” policy, which encourages minorities to integrate into Han Chinese culture.
• Some analysts say it formalizes policies already implemented in regions like Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia.
• Provisions also encourage integration measures in areas such as education, migration, housing, and interethnic relations.
• The NPC session will also approve other major items including:
  • A new environmental code to unify environmental laws.
  • China’s 2026–2030 five-year economic plan and annual budget.
  • The parliament is widely seen as a rubber-stamp body that almost never rejects proposals put forward by the Communist Party leadership.

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