China celebrates anniversary of regional autonomy law

BEIJING - China on Friday held a seminar celebrating the 30th anniversary of its law allowing ethnic minorities to govern certain regions autonomously.

The Law on Regional National Autonomy was enacted in May 1984 and was put into effect on Oct 1 in the same year, implementing the regional ethnic autonomy system that was established in the country's Constitution.

Li Jianguo, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, said at the seminar that the law is a good one in that it tallies with national conditions and current situations.

It safeguards national unity and territorial integrity, strengthens ethnic unity and equity, and promotes development of ethnic minority areas, Li added.

He called for people to study the law and its application, as well as to learn from President Xi Jinping's remarks concerning ethnic work and implement their spirit.

Zhang Dejiang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, and chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, also attended the gathering of about 120 officials.

China has five ethnic minority autonomous regions: Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Tibet autonomous region, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Inner Mongolia autonomous region.