China's ethnic work practices propel national unity and modernization, official says

China's ethnic work practices have undergone historic transformations and achieved significant accomplishments in recent years, with people of all ethnic groups embarking on a new journey toward Chinese-style modernization, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The development of all five ethnic autonomous regions in China — Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Xizang, Xinjiang and Guangxi — has accelerated. From 2012 to 2025, the GDP of these regions increased from 3.25 trillion yuan to 8.66 trillion yuan ($1.27 trillion), according to Duan Yijun, vice-minister of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"People of all ethnic groups have jointly created a Chinese miracle in the history of global poverty reduction, fulfilling the millennia-old aspiration of poverty alleviation and moving toward a moderately prosperous society," Duan stated during a news conference held by the State Council Information Office on the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law and China's work on ethnic affairs.

Furthermore, the degree of interaction, exchange, and integration among people from different ethnic groups is unprecedented, he noted. The floating population of ethnic minorities in China has reached over 33 million, with more than one-third living in urban and dispersed areas, he added.

More importantly, the concept of the Chinese national community has deeply rooted itself in people's hearts, with "Chinese nation" being written into the Constitution and "forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation" being incorporated into the Party constitution. The sense of unity among the Chinese nation is stronger than ever, Duan remarked.