By Our Correspondent

National News – China is preparing to approve a controversial new law aimed at promoting “ethnic unity,” a move critics say will accelerate the assimilation of minority groups into the dominant Han culture.

The law, expected to be passed during the annual National People’s Congress, emphasizes the Sinicisation of religion, elevates Mandarin over minority languages, and encourages inter-ethnic marriages.

Authorities say it is designed to foster modernization and strengthen national cohesion, but human rights groups warn it threatens the cultural and religious freedoms of millions of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongolians, and other minorities.

The legislation requires parents to guide children to support the Chinese Communist Party and prohibits actions deemed harmful to “ethnic unity.”

Experts argue that it formalizes policies already in place, including restrictions on Uyghur Muslim religious practices and Tibetan Buddhist education.

Over the past decades, Beijing has implemented strict measures in Xinjiang and Tibet, citing security concerns after sporadic uprisings and clashes.

Critics argue that the law serves to consolidate control over resource-rich, strategically important border regions while marginalizing minority identities.

The law also indirectly influences inter-ethnic marriages, making it harder for religious leaders or parents to object based on cultural or religious differences.

Analysts suggest that this further encourages assimilation into Han culture.

While the law may be framed as a legal framework for “ethnic unity,” it also signals the government’s intent to tighten its grip on education, religion, media, and urban planning in minority regions.

Human Rights Watch has described the law as codifying a “common consciousness of the Chinese nation,” integrating ideology into social, cultural, and economic life.

By strengthening Mandarin instruction and limiting native language education in schools, the law marks a continuation of Beijing’s long-term efforts to absorb ethnic minorities into mainstream Chinese society.

Observers see this legislation not just as legal reform but as a strategic signal of Xi Jinping’s broader agenda to enforce national cohesion and cultural homogenization.