China’s legislature has adopted a sweeping new national law aimed at promoting “ethnic unity and progress,” a move that critics say signals deeper state pressure on China’s minority communities to integrate into a single, shared national identity.

The measure—called the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress—reflects a shift away from the earlier legal framework of ethnic autonomy toward a more forceful approach associated with President Xi Jinping’s policies. The law elevates Beijing’s long-running ethnic work doctrine into national legislation, framing “forging” (often described as casting or shaping) a common sense of belonging to the Chinese nation as a central requirement.

Supporters and officials present the law as strengthening cohesion among the country’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups. But the law’s practical implementation—especially provisions tied to language and education—has raised alarms among observers who argue it undermines minority cultural and linguistic rights. Under the statute’s guidance, authorities are expected to mainstream Mandarin and prioritize Chinese national symbols and public-language practices, including in settings involving families and schooling.

The law also deepens the role of party ideology inside state law, using political slogans and policy formulations as organizing themes for the statute. That structure matters, critics argue, because it signals that enforcement will be driven by political objectives rather than a neutral legal balancing of cultural accommodation.

The law comes amid a broader pattern of tightening controls in minority regions. Observers point to earlier efforts in places such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia that involved increased emphasis on assimilation and Chinese-medium education, which were followed by heightened social tensions and crackdowns after resistance.

As authorities move from local regulations to a unified national statute, the law is widely seen as giving Beijing additional legal leverage to demand compliance with its integration goals—potentially including consequences for localities or institutions that fail to align with the new national line.