(TibetanReview.net, Sep29’24) – President Xi Jinping on Sep 27 called for consolidating and developing the unity of the Chinese nation at a grand meeting held in Beijing to honour role models for ethnic unity and progress, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Sep 27.
The event was held ahead of China’s 75th National Day of Oct 1 amid intensification of Xi’s campaign for the Sinicization of the ethnic minority regions, with focus especially on their ethnic makeup, culture, language and religion. Critics have decried the campaign as a move to homogenize the People’s Republic of China by implementing a policy of assimilation that marginalizes – even outlaws – the expressions of ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and religious identity of the minority regions while diluting their population makeups.
The report cited Xi as urging efforts to “advance the building of the community for the Chinese nation.”
The entirety of the Politburo Standing Committee members have attended the meeting, which was presided over by Premier Li Qiang. Top political advisor Wang Huning, China’s top minority affairs leader, has announced the central authorities’ decision to award the models. The other Politburo Standing Committee members are Zhao Leji, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi.
A total of 352 groups and 368 individuals were stated to have been honoured. With Xi and other senior leaders presenting the awards to representatives of the models.
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In his speech, Xi has said China had “blazed a correct path of handling ethnic affairs with a distinctively Chinese approach” while making new advances in developing ethnic relations of equality, solidarity, mutual assistance and harmony, and promoting economic and social development of ethnic areas and the lives of ethnic minority groups to register unprecedented progress.
Referring to his renewed focus on the Sinicization derive since taking leadership of the party, Xi has said, “Since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, 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 success.”
The report said Xi “highlighted key aspects of the path of handling ethnic affairs with a distinctively Chinese approach, which include maximizing cohesion among all ethnic groups, adhering to the principle of equality for all ethnic groups, opposing ethnic oppression and discrimination, and properly balancing the safeguarding of national unity with the implementation of regional ethnic autonomy.”
He has claimed that “the path has helped build a stronger sense of shared identity and unity within the Chinese nation.”
He has called for further “efforts to guide all ethnic groups toward firmly embracing the concept of a community for the Chinese nation.”
In particular, he has emphasized “the importance of enhancing education in patriotism, collectivism, and socialism, as well as strengthening historical and cultural education for young people.”
Additionally, he urged efforts to fully promote the use of the standard Chinese language, the report said.
Urging that no ethnic group be left behind in this endeavour, Xi has called for “the promotion of high-quality development in areas with large ethnic minority populations, stronger economic ties between regions, and increased exchanges and interactions among ethnic groups.”
He has urged Party committees and governments at all levels to prioritize ethnic affairs on their agendas and to “foster a supportive social environment for related work.”