(TibetanReview.net, Sep16’26) – China is to showcase the progress it has made in the implementation of its so-called Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law in the first annual event be held under it on Sep 21. The activities will range from youth exchanges and legal education to exhibitions and public events in major cities, reported China’s Party mouthpiece globaltimes.cn Sep 16. The law and its coercive provisions have been widely criticised or condemned internationally, including at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, as a tool for forced assimilation of non-Han ethnic groups in the People’s Republic of China.
The law formally came into force on Jul 1, 2026, although its provisions have been carried out from long before and Mandarin proficiency competitions have been held across Tibet on earmarked occasions to gauge progress in the Communist Party of China’s move to Sinicize the region.
The Ethnic Unity and Progress Publicity Week will run from Sep 21 to 27 under the theme “Promoting ethnic unity and progress, advancing on the journey toward national rejuvenation,” the report said, citing officials from central government departments and the Beijing municipal government at a media briefing in Beijing on Sep 15.
The report noted that the week was established under the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, which designates the fourth week of September each year for nationwide public education activities.
The report claimed that as China’s fundamental law governing ethnic affairs, the legislation is intended to strengthen law-based governance and promote unity and common prosperity among the country’s 56 ethnic groups.
The report said the main event will be held on Sept 21 at the former site of the National Mongolian and Tibetan School in Beijing, now serving as Chinese National Community Experience Museum.
It continued; “Seminars on ethnic theory and policy will also be held by research institutes during the event week. Legal education will be another major part of the campaign. Lecturers will explain the new law to government officials and people working in education, culture, publicity and legal affairs, as well as representatives from ethnic minority communities and religious circles. Local authorities will also distribute posters, handbooks and short videos and provide legal consultations at the community level.”
The report said public activities will be concentrated in 10 cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Harbin, Hohhot, Nanning, Urumqi, Yinchuan and Lhasa. These will include exhibitions, performances, sports events and interactive programs held in public spaces that will include subway stations, buses, parks and cultural squares.
The report made it clear that schools will organize activities through classes, assemblies and student organizations, while youth groups will send volunteers to communities to provide public services and take part in cultural programs. Museums, libraries, cultural centres and intangible cultural heritage venues will also host exhibitions and performances.