Officials and villagers gather to discuss local matters and legislative items in Hudiyayuz, a town in the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, on April 28. CHINA DAILY

A senior official strongly rebutted on Wednesday claims made by certain foreign organizations and forces that the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law "assimilates ethnic minorities". He said that there is no point in attacking China's ethnic affairs with prejudice and turning a blind eye to facts.

Bayanqolu, a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, and chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the NPC, said at a news conference that some Western institutions and foreign forces have continued to spread falsehoods about China's human rights situation, especially in the context of ethnic issues.

He said that they disregard the fact that the law was formulated in line with China's national conditions and modern governance concepts and reflects the common aspiration of the people of all ethnic groups in the country.

"Seeing is believing, and facts should be the basis. What is the point of fabricating and sensationalizing with prejudice?" Bayanqolu said during the news conference held by the State Council Information Office on the law and China's work in the field of ethnic affairs.

"The so-called statements issued by these organizations ignore the tremendous achievements made in China's ethnic regions, unjustly criticize China's ethnic policies and legal construction, and constitute a blatant interference in China's internal affairs. We strongly resent and firmly oppose it," he added.

As a matter of fact, the economic and social development of ethnic regions has seen unprecedented progress, and people's living standards are at an all-time high, he said.

The development of all five ethnic autonomous regions — Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Hui, Xizang, Xinjiang Uygur and Guangxi Zhuang — has accelerated. Between 2012 and 2025, the GDP of these regions increased from 3.25 trillion yuan ($478 billion) to 8.66 trillion yuan, Duan Yijun, deputy head of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said.

On the road to poverty alleviation and building a moderately prosperous society, no ethnic group or individual has been left behind, and as Chinese-style modernization advances, no ethnic group or individual can be left behind either, said Ba­yanqolu, the chairman of the Ethnic Affairs Committee, adding, "Which other country or political party can achieve this?"

The law, which was passed on March 12 and will take effect on July 1, defines the protection of the legal rights of citizens seeking employment and entrepreneurship to further safeguard the equal development rights of people from all ethnic groups. There is absolutely no so-called "forced migration" or "forced labor" in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, as claimed by some Western organizations and media, said Chen Ruifeng, director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, at the news conference.

"All Xinjiang residents who seek employment outside the region do so of their own free will, based on personal desires to improve their family life and enhance their skills," Chen said, adding that claims of "forced migration" or "forced labor" are "extremely absurd and ridiculous".

Chen added that China's Constitution and a series of other laws and regulations fundamentally prohibit all forms of forced labor. The Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law further clarifies measures such as rights protection and legal assistance for cross-regional workers, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of workers from all ethnic groups.

When the draft law was submitted to the NPC Standing Committee for a second reading in December, a provision was added that schools and other educational institutions should use standard Chinese as the basic language of teaching, as the promotion of standard Chinese is mandated by the Constitution and is also an important measure to foster a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Since then, some Western media outlets have used the legal provision to attack China's ethnic policies.

Lei Jianbin, vice-chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said it is important to note that the promotion and popularization of the national standard language should not be seen as opposing the learning and use of the languages of different ethnic groups.

In fact, the protection of the right of people from all ethnic groups to use their own languages is explicitly stipulated in the Constitution and other laws. To further protect people's rights, Article 15 of the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law clearly states that the country respects and guarantees the learning and use of minority languages. What's more, the new law encourages different ethnic groups to learn each other's languages, Lei said.

"Those provisions fully reflect the commitment to the learning and protection of the languages of different ethnic groups. It should be said that both the promotion and popularization of the national common language, and the protection of people's right to use their own languages, are mandated by the Constitution and laws, and both have legal protection. These two aspects should not be seen as opposing each other," he added.

Bayanqolu said that after the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law was passed, it received high recognition and firm support from people across all ethnic groups in the country. In addition, many individuals, media and institutions from various countries said they believe the law has provided a reference path for multiethnic countries to address ethnic issues.