Unite the Chinese Nation as One Community

Unite the Chinese Nation as One Community*

September 27, 2024

The CPC always gives high priority to ethnic work. Over the past century and more, by integrating Marxist ethnic theories with China’s realities and the best of traditional Chinese culture, our Party has found a distinctive path to properly addressing ethnic issues in the country. Along this path, our Party has united the people of all ethnic groups in winning national independence and liberation, and opened up new prospects for ethnic relations founded on equality, unity, mutual assistance, and harmony. Unprecedented progress has been achieved in economic and social development in areas with large ethnic minority populations and in improving the lives of the people of ethnic minority groups. China’s ethnic minorities, ethnic minority areas, and ethnic relations have undergone dramatic and historic changes, together with the whole Chinese nation.

Since its 18th National Congress in 2012, our Party has continued to break new ground while upholding fundamental principles, and adapted Marxist ethnic theories to the Chinese context and the needs of our times. It has made it clear that the focus of our Party’s work on ethnic affairs — and indeed for all our endeavors in ethnic minority areas — is to reinforce the sense of the Chinese nation as one community. Based on this, we have developed the guidelines on strengthening and improving the Party’s work on ethnic affairs, which have enabled ethnic minority areas to eliminate absolute poverty, achieve moderate prosperity in all respects, and move towards socialist modernization alongside the rest of the country. These historic successes have raised our Party’s work on ethnic affairs to a new level.

Time and experience have shown that our unique approach to ethnic issues is the optimal solution for China. This approach attends to the fundamental and overall interests of the Chinese nation and has created the strongest cohesion among all ethnic groups, bringing about ethnic solidarity, joint endeavors, and common prosperity. It upholds equality among all ethnic groups and combats oppression and discrimination, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of ethnic background, truly enjoy equal political rights and an equal position as masters of the country. It maintains a proper balance between national unity and regional ethnic autonomy, aligns autonomy with unity and ethnic attributes with regional realities, and fosters a stronger sense of Chinese national identity and a more cohesive community.

Our great nation has created a civilization spanning more than five millennia. All of our ethnic groups have together charted a vast territory, built a unified multiethnic country, created a glorious history, shaped a brilliant culture, and cultivated a strong national ethos. The formation and development of the Chinese nation as one single community follows the will of the people and the irresistible tide of history.

– The blood ties among all ethnic groups are the historical foundation for the formation and development of the Chinese nation as one community. The various ethnic groups who have sustained and thrived on the land of China share blood ties and live in mixed environments, forming an inseparable community of shared future marked by unity in diversity. History has taught us that the Chinese nation was formed as a result of long-term interactions, exchanges and integration among all ethnic groups, and that only through greater unity and further integration into this big family can each of us enjoy a brighter future.

– The shared convictions among all ethnic groups create the intrinsic drive towards a unified multiethnic country. Since ancient times, the Chinese nation has embraced the ideas of “shared customs and practices and unified governance across the country” and “great harmony under Heaven”, considering national unification “a universal tenet between Heaven and Earth, and a constant creed throughout the past and present”. After the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE) unified China, every ethnic group that ruled the Central Plains remained committed to territorial integrity, national stability, ethnic unity, and continuity of the Chinese civilization. History has taught us that our unified multiethnic country has been jointly shaped by all of its ethnic groups, and must be defended, strengthened and developed by all of us together.

– The cultural connections between all ethnic groups are the cultural roots that have sustained the Chinese civilization through unity in diversity. Through mutual learning and integration, China’s diverse ethnic cultures have transcended regional boundaries, blood ties, and religious beliefs, forming a national culture characterized by strong cohesion and lasting appeal, and a Chinese civilization marked by unity in diversity. History has taught us that to raise our socialist culture to a higher level, all groups must identify more closely with China’s overall culture, which has been jointly shaped by each and every one of us, and strengthen mutual learning and integration among respective ethnic cultures.

– The economic interdependence of all ethnic groups is the powerful force driving the Chinese nation to build a unified economy. On China’s vast territory, different regions have unique resources, leading to high complementarity and interdependence among regional economies. All ethnic groups have maintained economic connections that meet each other’s needs and bring mutual benefits, boosting overall national strength and facilitating the formation and development of the Chinese nation as one community. History has taught us that only by aligning their own development with the overall development of the country, and increasing economic exchanges and cooperation, can all regions and ethnic groups grow their respective economies against a backdrop of nationwide economic prosperity.

– The emotional bonds between all ethnic groups serve as a strong tie that unites the Chinese nation as one family. Harmonious coexistence, kinship bonds, and mutual assistance have always dominated China’s ethnic relations, with countless historical stories about ethnic amity being passed down through generations. This is especially true in times of resisting foreign aggression, defeating separatism, and defending national unity, when the people of all ethnic groups have demonstrated unprecedented solidarity against the common enemy, and performed monumental feats through arduous struggle. History has taught us that ethnic amity has been a reliable bond for the formation and development of the Chinese nation. To further consolidate wholehearted support for the development of the Chinese nation as one single community, all ethnic groups should cherish, strengthen and promote socialist ethnic relations based on equality, unity, mutual assistance, and harmony.

Shaped by 5,000 years of time-honored Chinese civilization, our great country and nation have always inspired the most profound and enduring emotional attachment from all the Chinese people. On this vast, beautiful and bountiful land, people of all ethnic groups share the same homeland — China; the same national identity — the Chinese nation; the same race — Chinese; and the same dream — national rejuvenation.

On the new journey in the new era, the central task facing the Party and the country is to build a great country and advance national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, which requires that the people of all ethnic groups unite as one and work tirelessly together. We must thoroughly apply the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and in particular the guidelines on strengthening and improving the Party’s work on ethnic affairs. We must focus on strengthening the sense of national identity, and continue to promote ethnic unity and progress to ensure high-quality work in this regard.

First, we must uphold the Party’s leadership, and cement the ideological and political foundations for ethnic unity and joint endeavors. The CPC is the leadership core for the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the pillar on which the Chinese people of all ethnic groups can rely. We should inspire the people of all ethnic groups to identify more closely with our motherland, the Chinese nation, the Chinese culture, the Communist Party of China, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. With firm conviction in the Chinese nation as one community, all of us can stand together through thick and thin, and strive with one mind towards the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Second, we must build a spiritual home shared by all the Chinese people, as a powerful cultural buttress for strengthening the Chinese nation as one community. To achieve this, we must foster a stronger sense of identity with the Chinese culture. Guided by the core socialist values, we should strengthen education on patriotism, collectivism and socialism, and ensure that our people of all ethnic groups develop a sound understanding of country, history, ethnicity, culture and religion. We should strengthen education on Chinese history and culture among children and young people, popularize standard spoken and written Chinese, and promote the nationwide use of standard textbooks, to help our people forge a sense of national identity from an early age.

Third, we must accelerate high-quality development in ethnic minority areas and take solid steps towards achieving common prosperity for all ethnic groups. In promoting Chinese modernization and achieving common prosperity, none of our 56 ethnic groups will be left behind. We should support the integration of ethnic minority areas into the overall development of the country, and promote closer economic integration and connections among all regions. Ethnic minority areas should thoroughly and precisely apply the new development philosophy by promoting further reform and opening up, boosting competitive industries with local features, and developing new quality productive forces based on local strengths. To meet the people’s growing expectation for a better life, ethnic minority areas should further secure and improve living standards through development, make basic public services more balanced and accessible, and do solid work that aligns with the people’s will, benefits their lives, and wins their hearts.

Fourth, we must promote comprehensive connections between all ethnic groups, and facilitate interactions, exchanges and integration. These serve as important means to build the Chinese nation as one community. In employing these means, we should coordinate the planning of socio-economic development and the allocation of public resources across the country, strengthen infrastructure construction — particularly transport — in border regions and ethnic minority areas, promote people-centered new urbanization, and facilitate orderly population flows and mixed residence among all ethnic groups. We should build an ethnically integrated society and such neighborhoods, and explore more means to expand comprehensive connections between all ethnic groups, so that they remain as closely united as the seeds of a pomegranate.

Fifth, we must manage ethnic affairs in accordance with the law, and improve our governance capacity. We must uphold and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy, improve relevant laws, regulations, and differentiated regional support policies, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of citizens of all ethnic groups. We should strengthen education on the rule of law, in order to foster a keener sense of national identity, citizenship, and law-based governance among all ethnic groups.

Addressing ethnic issues is an internal matter for China, brooking no interference by any external force. The CPC and the Chinese people have adopted a unique approach to managing ethnic affairs, and will tolerate no lectures from any foreign force. We must resolutely oppose any targeting of China through infiltration, sabotage, slander, smear, containment or suppression that uses ethnic or religious issues as a pretext. We will boost theoretical research, interpretation, and communication concerning Chinese history and the Chinese nation as one community, actively engage in people-to-people exchanges with other countries, and strengthen our storytelling about the Chinese nation as one community.

Heightening the sense of national identity is a shared mission of the entire Party, the whole country, and the people of all ethnic groups. Party committees and governments at all levels, along with relevant departments, must put ethnic affairs high on their agenda. They must promptly research and quickly address major problems concerning ethnic affairs, support agencies in charge to better fulfill their responsibilities, improve the caliber of officials and professionals in ethnic minority areas, and attach importance to the training and appointment of officials from minority ethnic groups. We should improve the systems and mechanisms for reinforcing the sense of national identity, leverage the leading role of exemplary individuals and organizations, and create an environment conducive to ethnic work.

We have secured remarkable and historic successes by relying on the concerted efforts of the people of all ethnic groups. By maintaining this approach, we will go on to achieve further triumphs. Let us unite closer around the Party Central Committee and forge ahead with one mind to build the Chinese nation as one community. Let us work tirelessly towards building China into a great socialist country and realizing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

* Main part of the speech at a national meeting to commend model individuals and units for contributing to ethnic unity and progress.

(Not to be republished for any commercial or other purposes.)