Beijing has adopted a comprehensive ethnic unity law that critics warn will accelerate assimilation of China's minority populations and erode protections for distinct cultural identities, particularly affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans, and ethnic Mongolians.
The law, passed by the National People's Congress on March 12, 2026, represents the most significant codification of Xi Jinping's vision for national identity since he assumed power. The legislation emphasizes what Beijing calls the "shared consciousness of the Chinese nation" (中华民族共同体意识, Zhōnghuá mínzú gòngtóngtǐ yìshí)—a term that appears repeatedly throughout the text and signals the state's intent to subordinate ethnic identities to an overarching Han-dominated national identity.
The law contains provisions that critics say will cement assimilation policies already underway in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia. It mandates the promotion of Mandarin Chinese as the common language while technically preserving the "right" of minorities to use their own languages—a formulation that activists note lacks enforcement mechanisms and contradicts ongoing language restrictions in minority regions.
Maya Wang, acting China director at Human Rights Watch, described the law as "a legal framework for cultural erasure dressed up as unity." She noted that the legislation provides legal cover for existing assimilation programs, including the mandatory Mandarin-medium education policies that have sparked protests in Inner Mongolia and the mass detention system in Xinjiang.
The cross-border implications are particularly sensitive for Mongolia. Ethnic Mongolians in —who outnumber the population of itself—have faced intensifying pressure to abandon Mongolian-language education since 2020. The new law provides statutory backing for these policies, raising concerns in about the cultural survival of ethnic kin across the border. While 's government has historically maintained cautious silence on to preserve economic ties with , civil society groups have expressed alarm.
