Organized by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, a seminar on the use and development of ethnic languages and an international comparison of policy and legislation was held in Beijing on October 19. Over 50 officials and experts from home and abroad had in-depth discussions on a variety of topics such as ethnic languages policies, education, and linguistic diversity. In particular, they exchanged ideas on how to protect and promote the development of ethnic languages and preserve cultural diversity.
    With decades of efforts, China has made great achievements in the field of ethnic languages. But many challenges remain. Some ethnic languages are hardly used by young people who prefer to learn and speak Mandarin. With increasing international communications, some ethnic languages are threatened by foreign languages, especially English. Officials and academics from Europe introduced their experience and policies in protecting ethnic languages and culture, offering food for thought for their Chinese counterparts.
    As an official from Europe pointed out in his presentation, legislation and the state supervision has played a vital role in protecting the languages of Europe's ethnic minorities.
   An official from Spain stressed that administrative autonomy, independent management and use of local languages can work together and deliver positive economic results.
    In addition, experts from Norway emphasized the significance of international legislation in safeguarding ethnic languages and protecting ethnic culture. Their experiences were of particular interest to participants.
    Chinese officials and experts gave a detailed introduction to the current situation of the nation's ethnic languages. The seminar offered a great opportunity to develop co-operation between China and other countries in protecting ethnic languages and cultures.