On behalf of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Li Hongzhong, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee,  explanation on the Draft Law of the People's Republic of China on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress to the Fourth Session of the 14th NPC on March 5. Tfollowing is a summary of the explanation:

I. The Great Significance of Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress
Since the 18th National Congress of tmunist Party of China (CPC), the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to ethnic work. Upholding the principle of maintaining the correct politicection while pursuing reform and innovation, it has continuously advanced the Sinicization and modernization of Marxist theories on ethnic issues. It has clearly proposed making the forging of a strong sense ommunity for the Chinese nation the main thread of the Party's ethnic work in the new era and the main thread of all work in ethnic regions. This has led to the formation of GenerSecretary Xi Jinping's important thought on strengthening and improving ethnic work. The practice of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation has been continuously expanded and deepened, andrty's ethnic work has achieved new historic achievements. The 2018 Amendment to the Constitution included the term "Chinese nation" in the Constitution for the first time, explicitly sti maintenance and development of "equal, united, mutually-assistive, and harmonious relations among all ethnic groups." Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progresor political and legislative task deployed by the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The Third Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee explicitlproposed "enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress." Implementing the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee, based on the historical position of the Party's ethnick in the new era, and fully implementing the provisions, principles, and spirit of the Constitution, the enactment of the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress lays a solid legal foundation fing a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation and advancing the building of the Chinese nation community. It is of great significance for comprehensively promoting the cause of ethnic unity and progrand for uniting all ethnic groups across the country to strive for the comprehensive building of a modern socialist country and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese mo
(I) Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is a major measure to thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping's importantrengthening and improving ethnic work and the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee. General Secretary Xi Jinping's important thought on strengthening and improving ethnic work represents the latest achievement in adapting Marx theories on ethnic issues to the Chinese context and the needs of the times. Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to transform General Secretary Xi Jinping's importantrengthening and improving ethnic work, especially the major concept of forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, into the will of the state through legal procedures. It aims toe successful experiences gained since the 18th CPC National Congress in advancing the building of the Chinese nation community and the cause of ethnic unity and progress into legal provisions. It aims uarantee the Party's overall leadership over ethnic work from the institutional and legal perspectives, continuously consolidate the common ideological, political, and legal foundations for the unity and joint struggle of all et groups, and work together to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.
(II) Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is an urgent requirement for forging a strof community for the Chinese nation and advancing the building of the Chinese nation community. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "A strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is the fundaments for ethnic unity." Making the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation the main thread of the Party's ethnic work in the new era and all work in ethnic s is a major theoretical and practical achievement obtained by our Party through upholding the "two combinations," taking into account the "two overall situations," deeply summarizing the experience and lessons from etwork at home and abroad, and keenly perceiving the development trends of the Chinese nation community. Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to follow the general  the Chinese nation moving from history to the future, from tradition to modernity, and from diversity to unity. It aims to improve the institutional mechanisms for forging a strong sense of commu the Chinese nation, promote the building of a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation, facilitate exchanges, interactions, and integration among all ethnic groups, guide people of all ethnic grouly establish the concept of a community where all share weal and woe, honor and disgrace, life and death, and destiny, and promote the Chinese nation to become a commith a shared future featuring higher identity and stronger cohesion.
(III) Formulating the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is a practical necessity for rallying the people's hearts and strengtance Chinese modernization and promote the common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Joint struggle and common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups are te lifeblood, strength, and hope of the Chinese nation." Great ethnic unity is the prerequisite and foundation for comprehensively advancing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.mulating the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to clarify the major policies and key tasks of the state in supporting high-quality development in ethnic regions and promoting the common prosperity and depment of all ethnic groups. It provides institutional and legal support for ethnic regions to accelerate their integration into the national development landscape, solidly advances common prosperity for all ethnic groups, continuously s the people of all ethnic groups' aspirations for a better life, and gathers tremendous strength for comprehensively advancing the building of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation through Chodernization.
(IV) Formulating the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is an objective requirement for implementing the strategy of comprehensively governing the country by law and advancing the mrnization of the governance system and governance capacity for ethnic affairs on the track of the rule of law. Ethnic issues are an important content stipulated by the Constitution of our country, and govehnic affairs according to law is an important aspect of comprehensively governing the country by law. The Constitution stipulates: "The People's Republic of China is a unified multi-tate jointly created by all the ethnic groups of the country." "Citizens of the People's Republic of China have the duty to safeguard the unity of the country and the solidaritl its ethnic groups." As the basic law for implementing relevant provisions of the Constitution, handling ethnic affairs, and carrying out ethnic work in the new era, the Law on Promoting Ethnand Progress provides a clear legal basis for governing ethnic affairs according to law. Formulating the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to give full play to the role of rule of law in consolidating the foundation, stabilizing expectations, and benefiting the long term; to safeguard the unity and dignity of the socialist rule of law; to guarantee ethnic unity ande legitimate rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups through law; and to govern ethnic affairs according to law, continuously improving the capacity and level of governance for eth
(V) Enacting the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress is a significant measure to cope with profound changes unseen in a century and enhance the cohesion of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: