STRENGTHENING ETHNIC UNITY

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Is the Basic Starting Point and Purpose of China’s Ethnic Policy

Chairman Mao Zedong, the founding leader of the People's Republic of China, once pointed out, "National unification and the unity of the people and of all of China's ethnic groups constitute the fundamental guarantee that our cause will surely be crowned with victory."

Ethnic unity has been officially included in the Constitution of the People's Republic of China as the norm upon which relations among domestic ethnic groups are based. Therefore, strengthening unity among all ethnic groups has become the basic starting point and objective of China's ethnic policy. The policy of ethnic unity not only has an important position in China's system of ethnic policies, but it also plays a positive role in forming new ethnic relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance in New China.

Ethnic unity is the basic norm established by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China for a new type of socialist ethnic relations. Soon after the People's Republic was founded in 1949, the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which served as China's provisional Constitution, established the following basic norms for New China's ethnic relations: "All ethnic groups within the boundaries of the People's Republic of China are equal. They should establish unity and mutual aid among themselves and oppose imperialism and public enemies within their own ranks, so that the People's Republic of China will become a large fraternal, cooperative family composed of all its ethnic groups. They should oppose all forms of ethnic chauvinism. All acts of discrimination and oppression and activities that split the unity of the ethnic groups shall be prohibited." Later, the Constitution of the People's Republic of China reiterated this and clearly stipulated: "The state upholds and develops relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China's ethnic groups. Discrimination and oppression of any ethnic group are prohibited, and all acts that undermine the unity among ethnic groups or create dissension among them are prohibited."

After the founding of the New China, the Chinese government adopted a series of measures and worked hard to eliminate ethnic misunderstandings due to past ethnic discrimination and oppression and to foster the formation of new ethnic relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance.

First, in the early days of the People's Republic, the Central Government sent delegations to ethnic minority areas to convey its solicitude, publicize its ethnic policy, and conduct social investigations. The delegations met separately with leaders and representatives from all walks of life of ethnic minorities. They held forums, conferences, friendship meetings and mass rallies to solicit opinions, convey the Central Government's solicitude for ethnic minorities and publicize its ethnic policy. In addition, the delegations taught training courses to help train ethnic minority cadres and helped ethnic compactly inhabited areasto establish self- government. They also made extensive contacts with people of ethnic minorities by showing movies, holding exhibitions, putting on dramas, providing medical services and presenting gifts. All this made it possible for ethnic minorities to feel the warmth of the great family of ethnic groups, and it established contacts between ethnic minorities and the central and local governments and began to eliminate the ethnic misunderstanding and mistrust that existed due to historical circumstances.

Second, ethnic minority people in border regions from all walks of life were systematically organized into groups to visit other parts of the country. These visits made it possible for ethnic representatives to see the tremendous changes taking place in the motherland, increased the mutual understanding between ethnic minorities and the Han people, and increased the ties between ethnic minorities inhabiting our border areas and the Central Government. This measure is still being implemented today. Every year the Central Government organizes groups of ethnic minority people to visit Beijing and other parts of the country.

Third, all visible signs of ethnic discrimination left over from history were removed. In May 1951, soon after the People's Republic was founded, the Government Administrative Council of the Central People's Government issued the Directive on Dealing with Appellations, Place Names, Steles and Inscribed Boards That Discriminate Against or Insult Ethnic Minorities, explicitly stipulating that all appellations, place names, steles and inscribed boards found to discriminate against or insult ethnic minorities would be banned, altered, sealed or placed under government control. In accordance with this stipulation, all clan names and place names discriminating against or insulting ethnic minorities were soon changed.

The Chinese government has always conducted publicity and education among all of its people concerning the great significance of the Marxist ethnic outlook, China's ethnic policy and ethnic unity. The publicity and education are carried out in various ways. They are conducted through special training courses and forums on Marxist ethnic theory and policy, through reports by the news media about advanced individuals and organizations that contribute to ethnic unity, and through special programs that introduce outstanding aspects of ethnic culture and economic development in ethnic minority areas and promote mutual understanding among ethnic groups. The publicity and education are directed not only to ethnic minority people and regions but also to Han people and regions. They are aimed at both the masses of all ethnic groups and their leading cadres at all levels. In addition, special attention is paid to including ethnic policy and unity in textbooks and supplementary readers, so as to instill this education in young people. The publicity and education are maintained through the initiative of governments at all levels, and in some regions, it has already been institutionalized.

The Chinese government actively encouragesoutstanding individuals and advanced organizations to undertake activities that further ethnic unity. In addition, it honors individuals and organizations for outstanding contributions to safeguarding ethnic unity. Some ethnic minority areas have observed Ethnic Unity Month since the 1950s. This is a month that is set aside every year for promoting activities supportive of ethnic unity. The main activities are: to make a concentrated effort to conduct all of kinds of publicity and education concerning ethnic unity among cadres and masses; to carry out extensive friendship activities among ethnic groups to increase their mutual understanding and aid; and to investigate the implementation of ethnic policies and solve problems whenever they are found. Many localities honor individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to safeguarding and strengthening ethnic unity. The forms of these activitiesare already gradually becoming institutionalized. In light of their different conditions, some localities hold ceremonies to honor individuals and organizations for their contributions to progress in ethnic unity at regular intervals, while others hold them irregularly. So far, the State Council has held three such national events. Party and state leaders attend these ceremonies and give speeches. Experience gained in these activities is constantly being reviewed, and the practice has greatly promoted the development of the cause of ethnic unity and progress.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to and properly handles all conflicts and problems concerning ethnic relations, and it is firmly opposed to acts of any kind that undermine ethnic unity and harm national unity. As long as there are ethnic groups, ethnic conflicts and problems will be inevitable. With regard to conflicts and problems in ethnic relations of a political, economic and cultural nature, the Chinese government has always held that such conflicts and problems occurring in the present stage of ethnic relations are basically ones in which the ethnic groups have the same fundamental interests; they are not antagonistic conflicts and problems. Therefore, the government maintains that in handling conflicts and problems in ethnic relations, it is necessary to uphold the principles of acting according to law and seeking truth from facts and to correctly differentiate and properly deal with conflicts among our own people and those between the enemy and ourselves. All conflicts among the people should be properly dealt with by proceeding from the principle of promoting ethnic unity and using methods that combine criticism and self-criticism and integrate education and explanation so as not to aggravate the conflicts. Acts that deliberately provoke ethnic disputes and attempt to split the country and that give rise to conflicts between the enemy and ourselves should be punished in accordance with the relevant laws of the state.