Autonomous Legislative Power in Regional Ethnic Autonomy of the People's Republic of China: The Law and the Reality

Abstract

Ethnic policies are burning issues for states. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) is of no exception. China has 56 “minzu” or ethnic groups. The Han is the majority ethnic group and the other 55 ethnic groups were recognized during the Ethnic Identification (1950–1987) (Huang and Shi 2005, pp. 104–114). The population of the country numbers 1.30 billion, of which 91.59% are the Han and the remaining 8.41% belong to minority ethnic groups. Minorities are evidently inferior in number. However, they occupy nearly 60% of the areas where China’s natural and mineral resources are located. A big proportion of minority ethnic groups inhabit areas where geographical and political security is crucial to the nation. Some minority ethnic groups also have kinship with groups located in China’s neighboring countries. The relationship between the majority Han and minority ethnic groups has long been the concern of every government in Chinese history as well as of the present PRC government.