China's National People's Congress Nears Approval of Ethnic Unity Law
This year's two sessions meetings in China are concluding, with the National People's Congress (NPC) expected to approve a new ethnic unity law on Thursday. The NPC, often described as a rubber-stamp parliament, has never rejected an agenda item, and delegates are set to vote on this legislation alongside a new environmental code and the 15th five-year plan for 2026-2030.
Key Legislation and Economic Context
The ethnic unity law will require schools to use Mandarin by default, prioritizing it over minority ethnic languages such as Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian. This move aligns with President Xi Jinping's policy of "sinicisation," aimed at assimilating ethnic minorities into the Han majority culture. Xi has likened China's ethnic groups to "pomegranate seeds that stick together," emphasizing unity.
Additionally, the law mandates that Mandarin be displayed more prominently than minority scripts on public signage. Reports from Inner Mongolia indicate that some signs have already been updated to feature Mandarin characters more prominently than Mongolian script, following protests in 2020 over language erosion.
Criticism and Historical Significance
Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at Human Rights Watch, criticized the law, stating it "is a blatant move by Beijing to legalise forced assimilation and political control." He noted that many policy directives in the law are already practiced in regions like Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia.
The ethnic unity law has received particular attention from the Chinese Communist Party. In 2025, the full politburo, led by Xi, discussed a draft of the law, an event not reported in four decades, highlighting its importance.
Environmental and Economic Measures
The NPC is also set to approve a new ecological and environmental code, which will unify various pollution and protection laws as China works toward its "dual carbon" goals: peaking carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving net neutrality by 2060. The draft includes chapters on waste management, pollution prevention, and climate change adaptation.
Li Shuo, director of the China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute, praised the code, saying it "represents a step forward in the development of China's environmental legal system" and signals a long-term legal commitment to environmental governance.
Economically, this year's two sessions featured a historically low GDP growth target of 4.5% for 2026, announced by Premier Li Qiang on March 5. This reflects Beijing's shifting priorities and challenging domestic economic situation. The NPC will also vote on the annual budget, government work report, and the 15th five-year plan.
Conclusion
As the two sessions wrap up, the NPC's approvals mark significant steps in China's legislative agenda, focusing on ethnic unity, environmental sustainability, and economic planning. The ethnic unity law, in particular, underscores efforts to promote Mandarin and cultural integration amid criticism from human rights groups.
