Ethnic unity

December 31, 2025

China’s top lawmakers have unveiled major updates to two pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening national unity and the role of the standard Chinese language across the country. One is a draft Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress that was reviewed by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and is open for public comment.

The other is a revised Law on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, the first substantial update in 25 years, which will take effect on January 1, 2026. The draft ethnic unity law underscores Beijing’s goal to build “a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation,” a phrase repeatedly emphasised by President Xi Jinping as central to policy on ethnicity and cohesion.

It includes provisions to protect national symbols such as the flag, anthem and emblem, and links ethnic affairs with a broader national security perspective. Schools and educational institutions are urged to use standard Chinese as the basic medium of instruction, and the promotion of Mandarin is framed as a way to enhance unity and stability in ethnically diverse regions. The revisions to the language law expand the existing framework for spoken and written Chinese, reaffirming Standard Chinese as the statutory common national language and spelling out responsibilities for its promotion in public life, education and digital spaces.