From 1978 to 2008, the gross domestic product (GDP) of ethnic autonomous areas increased from 32.4 billion yuan ($4.6 billion) to 3.06 trillion yuan ($440 billion). The per-capita disposable income of urban residents in ethnic autonomous areas grew from 307 yuan ($44) to 13,170 yuan ($1,900) and the per-capita net income of rural residents in these areas jumped from 138 yuan ($20) to 3,389 yuan ($486). In recent years, the local GDP and fiscal revenue of ethnic autonomous areas have grown faster than the national average.

The regional autonomy for ethnic minorities provides legal guarantees for ethnic autonomous areas to exercise the right of self-government in developing education, spoken and written languages of ethnic minorities, science and technologies, as well as preserving local cultural relics. It also allows ethnic minority people to play a leading role in developing their own culture.

By now, the number of cultural relics sites under state protection in ethnic autonomous areas has reached 360. The Potala Palace in Tibet has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those of ethnic minorities also account for 423 of the 1,028 government-approved national intangible cultural heritage items. The Ministry of Culture has recognized 1,488 people as representative heirs to national-level intangible cultural heritage items, 339 of whom are from ethnic minorities. From 2008, they have begun to each receive a yearly work allowance of 8,000 yuan ($1,160).

Sixty years of practice has proven that China's ethnic policies are correct and successful. Regional autonomy for ethnic minorities is in keeping with China's actual conditions and the common interests of all ethnic groups. That is why China can maintain ethnic unity and a stable and harmonious society while achieving high-speed growth.

Milestones

1947, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region was established.

September 1949, the Common Program of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which served as the provisional constitution of the People's Republic of China, was adopted. A chapter in the document defines regional autonomy for ethnic minorities as a basic state policy.

1952, the Chinese Government issued the Program for the Implementation of Ethnic Regional Autonomy, which includes provisions on the establishment of ethnic autonomous areas and other related issues.

1954, the First National People's Congress included the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities in the Constitution. All subsequent revisions to the Constitution reaffirmed the implementation of this system.

October 1955, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established.

March 1958, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established.

October 1958, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was established.

September 1965, Tibet Autonomous Region was established.

May 31, 1984, the Second Session of the Sixth National People's Congress adopted the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, and decided to put it into effect on October 1 of that year.

The author is Minister of the State Ethnic affairs Commission. The article is an excerpt of an interview Yang gave to the China News service