The Information Office of
China's State Council on Monday, February 28, 2005 issued a white
paper titled Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China. The following is
the fulltext of the document:
Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China
Information Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
February 2005, Beijing
Preface
The People's Republic of China is a united multi-ethnic country.So far, 56
ethnic groups have been identified and recognized by the central government. The
population of various ethnic groups differs greatly. While the Han ethnic group
has the largest population, that of the other 55 ethnic groups is relatively
small,so they are customarily referred to as "ethnic minorities." According to
the fifth national census, conducted in 2000, the population of all the 55
ethnic minority groups totaled 104.49 million, accounting for 8.41 percent of
the total population of China. People of all ethnic groups in China have made
important contributions to the creation of a unified multi-ethnic country and
the creation of the time-honored Chinese civilization, as wellas Chinese
historical progress.
Regional autonomy for ethnic minorities in China means that, under the
unified leadership of the state, regional autonomy is practiced in areas where
people of ethnic minorities live in compact communities. In these areas, organs
of self-government areestablished for the exercise of autonomy. The
implementation of this policy is critical to enhancing the relationship of
equality,unity and mutual assistance among different ethnic groups, to upholding
national unification, and to accelerating the development of places where
regional autonomy is practiced and promoting their progress.
