Global Concern Grows Over China’s Policies Toward Ethnic Minorities

Global Concern Grows Over China’s Policies Toward Ethnic Minorities
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China’s approach toward its ethnic minorities has prompted growing international concern, with rights groups warning that state-led assimilation policies may threaten the survival of several distinct cultures, according to media reports. China officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups, with the Han majority accounting for more than 91 percent of the population, while minorities such as Uyghurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Hui Muslims, and others maintain unique languages, religions, and traditions shaped over centuries.

After the Communist Party took power in 1949, Beijing introduced regional autonomy frameworks in areas including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia. While these measures formally promised cultural protection, governance remained tightly centralized, and minority institutions faced significant disruption, particularly during the Cultural Revolution.

Under President Xi Jinping, policies have increasingly emphasized national unity and social stability. In Xinjiang, authorities have expanded surveillance systems and established vocational training centers that critics describe as re-education camps. The wider use of Mandarin in schools has reduced instruction in minority languages, raising concerns about long-term cultural continuity.

In Tibet, religious institutions face heightened oversight, while in Inner Mongolia, changes to language education have triggered protests. Human rights organizations argue that demographic shifts and cultural restrictions risk accelerating the erosion of minority identities, calling for greater transparency and safeguards to preserve cultural diversity.