China Urges US and EU to Stop Hyping Ethnic Issues and Interfering in Internal Affairs

Beijing — China has urged the United States and the European Union to stop spreading what it described as misinformation about its ethnic policies and to cease interfering in the country’s internal affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun made the remarks at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday in response to reports that the United States and the European Union had expressed concern over China’s Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law.

The law entered into force on Wednesday after being adopted by China’s National People’s Congress in March. Chinese authorities say it is intended to strengthen law-based governance of ethnic affairs, uphold equality among all ethnic groups, promote common development, preserve cultural heritage and reinforce national unity.

According to media reports, the United States and the European Union raised concerns about the possible impact of the legislation on the languages, cultures and identities of ethnic minority communities in China.

Guo rejected the criticism, saying the relevant countries had taken a biased view of China’s ethnic policies and had maliciously distorted them.

“By taking a biased view and maliciously smearing China’s ethnic policies, the relevant countries have concocted and spread disinformation, blatantly interfered in China’s internal affairs and undermined China’s ethnic unity. China firmly opposes this,” Guo said.

He said China is a unified multi-ethnic country in which all ethnic groups are equal and maintain harmonious relations based on solidarity and mutual assistance.

According to Guo, strengthening the rule of law in ethnic affairs will help better protect the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups and further consolidate national unity.

He said the Chinese government attaches great importance to preserving the cultures of ethnic minority communities and safeguards, in accordance with the law, the right of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.

Guo said China’s policies and achievements in ethnic minority development, cultural preservation, education, healthcare and human rights protection had been widely recognised by the international community.

He accused certain countries of ignoring China’s socioeconomic progress and human rights achievements because of ideological prejudice and political considerations.

“Instead, they take things out of context, maliciously slander China’s ethnic policies and fabricate and spread misinformation,” Guo said.

He added that such actions constituted gross interference in China’s internal affairs and were intended to undermine ethnic unity within the country.

China reiterated that ethnic affairs are entirely its internal matter and called on the United States and the European Union to stop politicising the issue, spreading disinformation and interfering in China’s domestic affairs.