(TibetanReview.net, Aug30’25) – On his arrival in Tibet’s capital Lhasa on Aug 20 – which was the eve of celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) – Chinese President Xi Jinping gave an important speech after listening to work reports from the CPC Tibet regional committee and the regional government, calling for the building of a modern socialist new Xizang that is united, prosperous, civilized, harmonious and beautiful, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency that day, using the Sinicized name for TAR. The question is what kind of “a modern socialist new Xizang”.
Then at a Politburo meeting on Aug 29, China’s top leaders discussed a draft law on advancing ethnic unity and progress, with the aim to “improve the institutional mechanisms for heightening a sense of identity of the Chinese nation and further enhance the unity and cohesion of the Chinese nation.”
The meeting called for strengthening and improving ideological and political work in light of new circumstances, adapting to evolving social groups and enhancing precision and effectiveness. It also underscored the need to uphold and reinforce the Party’s overall leadership in this field, reported China’s official chinadaily.com.cn Aug 29, citing a statement issued after the meeting.
By this meeting, China’s top leaders vowed to advance ethnic unity through new legislation, marking the latest step in a sweeping drive to deepen the integration and control of minority groups, noted bloomberg.com Aug 29.
The purpose of the new legislation is to turn the party’s theories and practices on ethnic affairs into “the will of the state,” the report cited China’s official Xinhua news agency as saying.
Notably, the chinadaily.com.cn said the meeting was held following President Xi’s recent trip to the TAR, “where he called for active efforts to build the region into a national model of ethnic unity and progress.” By it, according to the bloomberg.com report, Xi called for his government to tighten its ethnic-assimilation campaign there.
Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, which brought Xi to power, the Party has taken fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the focus of its work related to ethnic affairs, and achieved new historic successes, the report continued.
It noted that during Xi’s more than decade-long rule, the Chinese government had steered away from its long-held policy of championing ethnic autonomy. Instead, it’s moved toward tighter integration and centralized control of minority groups, drawing a lesson from the Soviet Union’s collapse.
What all this means is that the new law will give a new fillip to China’s ongoing Han-centric homogenization of Tibet, which includes the encouragement of more Chinese immigration to the region and more inter-ethnic marriages, the marginalization of the teaching and use of Tibetan language, the Sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism, the persecution of those promoting Tibetan language and culture as well as others who criticize its policy and actions on these matters.
The new law has been under discussion since Mar 2025 and a report submitted to the ongoing third session of the 14th NPC on Mar 8 for review said that China will “formulate a law on promoting ethnic unity and progress to forge a strong sense of national identity, reinforcing the Chinese people as one cohesive community,” said a Chinadaily.com.cn report Mar 10.