China codifies ethnic assimilation with new ‘unity’ law as it counters the West

China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), has formally endorsed the 'Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress' at the close of its annual 'two sessions.' The legislation passed with overwhelming support, receiving 2,756 votes in favor, with only three against and three abstentions. Analysts interpret the law as a direct effort to counter Western ideological influence and to codify a policy of ethnic assimilation into statutory law. It provides a legal mandate for fostering what President Xi Jinping has termed a 'shared spiritual home' among China's diverse ethnic groups, with an explicit goal of preventing 'domestic friction.'

The passage of this law was part of a broader legislative agenda that saw other major items approved with similarly high margins. Alongside the unity law, the NPC passed the comprehensive Ecological and Environmental Code and approved the outline for the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030), which will guide national economic and social development. The legislative session also greenlit the 2026 central and local budgets, which prioritize spending on science development, diplomacy, and national defense. The near-unanimous votes across these key pieces of legislation underscore the centralized political control and the state's focus on ideological unity, national security, and strategic development as it positions itself against perceived external pressures.