National law to boost ethnic progress, unity

The proposed law is coordinated and connected with other existing laws and regulations, such as the law on regional ethnic autonomy, and focuses on fostering a stronger sense of community for the Chinese nation, further developing the community of the Chinese nation, and regulating ethnic relations nationwide, he added.

Meanwhile, many deputies believe drafting the law has been a milestone as it is aimed at strengthening the "consciousness" of the Chinese national community, which is more important than ever in the face of a complex international environment and risks and challenges.

In the past, the nation relied on policy guidance and education as well as other practical experiences to promote ethnic unity, said Yershat Tursonbay, an NPC deputy from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and governor of Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture.

"Once the draft law is passed, we will have legal boundaries and institutional foundations to transform the consciousness of the Chinese national community from 'ideological awareness' to 'legal awareness', and from people's 'popular will' to 'institutional commitment'," Yershat said.

Drafting the law is also a crucial step in enhancing the modernization of the governance system and capacity for ethnic affairs, he added.

"For regions like Ili (Kazak), where multiple ethnic groups coexist, the more robust the legal framework is, the more precise the governance can be," he said.

More importantly, the proposed law is a "powerful legal weapon" for maintaining national unity and opposing ethnic separatism. Its draft firmly opposes any attempts at infiltration, undermining, defamation, or suppression under the guise of ethnicity, religion, or human rights.

It also explicitly prohibits external interference in China's ethnic affairs, Yershat said.

"As an official from border areas, I deeply understand that unity is key in stabilizing the border, and long-term peace and stability rely on the law as the strongest protective net. In the face of a complex international environment and risks and challenges, the draft law clearly upholds national sovereignty, security, and development interests, and opposes all acts of separatism and extremist ideologies, providing legal support for the governance of ethnic affairs and strengthening the national security barrier," he added.

The draft law also outlined detailed and practical measures to encourage interaction, exchanges and integration among people from different ethnic groups. It calls for initiatives such as harmonious integrated habitation among various ethnic groups.

"This will ensure people from various ethnic backgrounds can live and work closely together, helping and supporting each other, and making the great family of the Chinese nation warmer and more cohesive," Yershat said.

He added that development is the material foundation of unity. The draft law aims to advance shared prosperity and development, promoting "inclination" of industries, projects, policies, and talents in favor of ethnic regions, making development more sustainable and its outcomes more widely shared.

"As a result, the lives of people from all ethnic groups will become increasingly prosperous, and their hearts will grow even closer," said Yershat, adding that lawmakers in the prefecture passed a local regulation in 2023 to encourage interaction, exchange and integration among people from different ethnic groups.