Scholar hails ethnic unity as part of campus life

Mark Levine, an educator from the United States, said his nearly two decades at Minzu University of China have shown him that China's ethnic unity is not an abstract idea but a daily reality, one he believed is now reinforced by the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress. Levine came to China in 2005 and moved to Beijing in 2007 after receiving an invitation from Minzu University of China to teach English. There, he found that about half of undergraduate students come from one of China's 55 ethnic minority groups.

During an evaluation in his 11th year there, he told a team of experts which included two US citizens, that he had never seen or heard of a single incident of conflict between students, or between students and faculty, from different ethnic groups. "I look in my class. I see Han students, Tujia students, Miao students, Uygur students, Kazak, Zhuang students. And what are they doing? They are studying," Levine said. After class, they continue to study, shop, play sports or eat together. "They understand that their individual future, as well as the future of their ethnic minority, depends on a unified China," he said.

Levine welcomed the newly implemented Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which took effect on July 1. In his view, the legislation institutionalizes realities already widely visible across Chinese society.

The law stressed that everyone is first and foremost Chinese and all ethnic groups enjoy equal rights, the same privileges and responsibilities. Second, real progress for every ethnic community can only be realized on the premise that China is a united nation. Levine said the law does not create an entirely new social reality. Instead, it codifies longstanding social practice.

Passing the law sent a clear signal that ethnic unity is not merely an informal suggestion, he said, adding that it was a necessary step. The legal framework also helps international audiences better grasp China's approach to ethnic governance.