China to more tightly control ethnic minority discussion online and in print to temper ideological ‘risks’

Communist Party’s theoretical journal article calls for greater oversight of public opinion to ‘resolutely fend off the infiltration of the three forces’
The remarks come as Beijing stresses the need to realise Xi Jinping’s vision of ‘forging a sense of community of the Chinese nation’

Human rights in China

Sylvie Zhuangin Beijing

Published: 2:33pm, 2 Feb 2024

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A top Beijing policy office has pledged to tighten control of ethnic minority-related discussion on the internet and in print, in a move to stamp out what it calls ideological risks related to these minorities in China.

In an article published on Thursday in the Communist Party’s theoretical journal Qiushi, the National Ethnic Affairs Commission called for greater oversight of public opinion and discussion around ethnic minority groups and related issues online.

The article referred to “risks” arising from ethnic minority communities and called for “the responsibility mechanism of ideology work” to be implemented.

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“[We must] resolutely fend off the infiltration of the ‘three forces’,” referring to terrorism, separatism and religious extremism. “[We must] further regulate publication related to ethnic minority groups.”

The commission called for greater supervision, for officials to “promptly and appropriately” address grievances involving issues related to ethnic minority groups and to “absolutely uphold the bottom line of preventing regional and systemic risks in the ethnic regions”.

However, in addition to a call for greater control, the article endorsed more resources being put into art – such as in publications, on stage and visual arts – that the commission said could help ethnic minority groups identify more deeply with Chinese culture.

“[We] should aim to make the internet the biggest contributor to strengthening the awareness of the community of the Chinese nation,” it said.

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The article is under the byline of the Communist Party leadership group at the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, the office responsible for drafting and implementing laws regarding China’s policies towards its ethnic minority groups.

The remarks come as Beijing stresses the need to realise Chinese President Xi Jinping’s vision of “forging a sense of community of the Chinese nation”, which advocates for greater integration of ethnic minority groups and putting the interests of the Chinese nation first.

Grievances relating to ethnic minority groups have long been a major source of tension in Chinese society, particularly in the country’s far-west regions of Xinjiang and Tibet.

Beijing has largely tamped down the intensity of those tensions in recent years by tightening its grip on the region’s security and culture policies. Its measures have attracted criticism from Washington and its allies who accuse Beijing of using the actions to inflict human rights abuses.

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For example, Beijing’s treatment of ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang has drawn mounting criticism from Western media and organisations, and allegations that it detained a million Uygurs and members of other Muslim minority groups in re-education camps and forced them into labour.

Beijing strongly denies this, saying the security measures are intended to counter terrorism and extremism.

The article in Qiushi on Thursday said China’s external communication around its ethnic minority groups was not effective, saying Beijing “has a valid point but not able to effectively communicate it”. Without naming any countries, it said this was because of some countries’ “hegemonic dominance”.

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It said Beijing had stepped up efforts in the hope its global communication would better align with its narrative.

One example is Beijing’s dramatically increased use since last year of “Xizang” rather than “Tibet” in its English articles in Chinese state media. It sees the term Tibet, when referring to the autonomous region in western China, as being linked in international discussion to the region’s spiritual leader-in-exile, the Dalai Lama.