Beijing -- Countries differ in ways of handling ethnic
minority affairs. China does this by allowing the right to autonomy to areas
where ethnic minority people live in compact communities. On February 28,
2005, the Information Office of the State Council, China's central government,
issued a white paper entitled Ethnic Minority Autonomy in China. The white
paper describes the system of ethnic minority autonomy as representing a "choice
of major importance" the country has made by proceeding from of its specific
conditions. Facts prove that the system has been crowned with complete success
over the past 50 years and more. According to the 12,000-character white paper,
by the end of 2003 the Chinese Government had designated 155 places to exercise
ethnic minority autonomy. These break down into five autonomous regions, 30
autonomous prefectures, and 120 autonomous counties (banners), which together
cover around 64 percent of China's land territory. In areas inhabited mainly
by the ethnic majority Han Chinese, ethnic minority people living in compact
communities are practicing self-government in 1,173 ethnic minority townships.
Of the 11 ethnic minority groups with too small a population to set up an
ethnic minority county, nine have set up ethnic minority townships. The People's
Republic of China Constitution and the Law of Regional Ethnic Minority Autonomy
provide full guarantee to people of ethnic minority groups in exercising self-government
in areas where they live in compact communities. According to the white paper,
they have the legal right to manage their internal affairs and affairs related
to their own areas, to institute local legislation on self-government, and
use and develop their own languages. The state is obliged to respect and guarantee
their right to freedom of religious belief and their right to preserve or
change their own folk customs. Areas of ethnic minority autonomy have the
right to independently plan and manage the development of their own economies,
as well as the development of educational, scientific, technological and cultural
undertakings in their respective areas. The state has the legal obligation
to support and assist areas of ethnic minority autonomy in accelerating their
own development. One case in point is the state strategy for developing the
west that includes the five autonomous regions ? Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous
Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Tibet
Autonomous Region and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Altogether, 60 major
development projects have been started in what is broadly referred to as the
"western region" since implementation of the strategy was begun
in 2000. These involve a combined capital investment of 850 billion yuan (approximately
US$103 billion). According to the white paper, in 2003 the five autonomous
regions together generated 1.0381 trillion yuan in gross domestic product
(GDP), for the first time breaking the 1 trillion yuan mark. Infrastructure
has improved markedly in all areas of ethnic minority autonomy. Ethnic traditions
and cultures have been well preserved and developed. There has been a significant
improvement in education in such areas. Continuous progress has been made
in developing medical and health work there. Moreover, foreign trade and tourism
have been expanding rapidly in areas of ethnic minority autonomy. It is more
than 50 years since the system of regional ethnic minority autonomy was instituted.
Speaking at a press conference on the white paper, Wu Shimin, vice-minister
in charge of the State Commission for Ethnic Minority Affairs, noted that
the system had undergone constant development and improvement over the decades.
"There is the need for us to systematically review the experiences in
implementing the system, hence the white paper," he said. Many countries
are trying to find out the correct ways of handling their own ethnic minority
affairs, the official said, and they are interested in our way of doing the
job. "By publishing this white paper," he said, "we mean to
get involved in international exchanges on ethnic questions, and we are willing
to share our experiences in this regard with all other countries."
