this post was submitted on 13 Mar 2026

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115

China approves 'ethnic unity' law requiring minorities to learn Mandarin (www.bbc.com)

submitted 7 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

48 comments fedilink hide all child comments

China has approved a sweeping new law which claims to help promote "ethnic unity" - but critics say it will further erode the rights of minority groups.

On paper, it aims to promote integration among the 56 officially recognised ethnic groups, dominated by the Han Chinese, through education and housing. But critics say it cuts people off from their language and culture.

It mandates that all children should be taught Mandarin before kindergarten and up until the end of high school. Previously students could study most of the curriculum in their native language such as Tibetan, Uyghur or Mongolian.

all 49 comments

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[–] fushuan@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

I'm Basque, we are "forced" to learn Spanish too since it's a co-official language in out autonomous region of Spain.

This post might sound alarming to monolingual people, but for any multilingual that had to learn both official languages AND english, watching people complain about schools requiring extra languages is embarrassing.

Unless I'm misunderstanding the post, it doesn't imply that most lectures need to be in Mandarin, only that the kids need to be taught the language, right?

Edit: I read the post. The language thing doesn't matter, what's alarming is actually this:

The law also provides a legal basis to prosecute parents or guardians who may instil what it described as "detrimental" views in children which would affect ethnic harmony and it calls for "mutually embedded community environments".

If it were actually about language and communication, that bit wouldn't be there.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 1 points 1 hour ago

I think it varies in parts of Xinjiang, but in at least part of it, along with most of the rest of China, most school instruction is in Mandarin.

Everyone still speaks their native languages, but they speak mando to chinese from other places. The kids know a few english phrases too for some reason.

[–] Undvik@fedia.io 4 points 2 hours ago

But when Spain or France does the same to its own minorities nobody cares

[–] Thedogdrinkscoffee@lemmy.ca 23 points 5 hours ago

See, China's peacefulness and benevolence are on full display providing conquered peoples free education, and re-education!

[–] duncan_bayne@lemmy.world -2 points 1 hour ago

Tankie in comment #3 of course 😀

[–] hammertime@lemmy.org 15 points 6 hours ago (4 children)

Hey ML, justify this.

[–] Kacarott@aussie.zone 8 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

I'm not ML by any means, but I don't really see the problem here? Schools are for learning useful life skills, etc. Surely learning the official language of your nation is a very useful life skill to have? Mandating that kids be taught a language does not mean forcing them to unlearn their native language.

[–] ptu@sopuli.xyz 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

I’m not sure how the Uyghurs and Mongols came under Chinese power, but Tibetian people were captured by force. They have autonomous states each, where they could decide to just collectively learn Mandarin if they thought it was something they wanted.

[–] Kacarott@aussie.zone 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

If the autonomy of these states are being infringed by this law, then that is a problem. In that case, I think the reduction of autonomy is far more concerning than the particular curriculum change.

[–] ptu@sopuli.xyz 1 points 38 minutes ago

It’s not like they are separate problems, but both part of the same push where minority nations are being assimilated and stripped of indentity.

[–] valtia@lemmy.world 14 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

In the US, all children are required to take English classes from kindergarten and up until the end of high school. There are no alternatives offered, if a student can't speak English, then they are at the very least offered ESL classes in addition to their regular English courses, but they still must take those courses and pass in order to get a diploma

[–] Kacarott@aussie.zone -1 points 2 hours ago

While I don't actually think that mandating the official national language as a class in schools is at all a problem (or a new idea), your argument is blatant whataboutism. Something cannot be justified merely by comparing it to somewhere else (especially the US, I might add).

[–] hammertime@lemmy.org -5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Bringing all your alts out eh?

[–] valtia@lemmy.world 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

That's your best comeback?

[–] hammertime@lemmy.org -3 points 3 hours ago

To this alt account? Yes.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz -4 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago) (3 children)

Everyone being able to speak a common language is good actually.

[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip 21 points 6 hours ago (2 children)

Which is a false equivalency to a state forcing a minority group to learn the majority language.

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

all minority groups in the us have to speak english. most states have a variation of this for that matter?

[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip -1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Whatabout nope! Let's not race to the bottom, eh?

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

sure. do ethnical minorities born in, say, spain not have to learn spanish?

tell me of states where this isn't true.

[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip 1 points 6 minutes ago

I don't know where it isn't true. I know it isn't right - anywhere.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 7 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

Ask the indigenous people how much they liked learning to speak the common tongue

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yes, teaching english is what's wrong with what was/is being done to indigenous communities. Absolutely nothing else.

[–] Passerby6497@lemmy.world 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

Yeah ....notice I said "learning", not "being taught". Maybe the rest of it that I left implied is what happens when you force people to learn your language? Didn't think I'd have to spell out what the schools did to those poor children to make them learn English for you to understand an implied point, but here we are.

How do you think they're going to make these people learn Mandarin? Do you think they're going to ask nicely? Or are they going to do the same thing every dominant colonial culture tries to do to its minorites?

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 2 points 2 hours ago

Didn’t think I’d have to spell out what the schools did to those poor children

That is precisely why I referred to it that way, so you'd have to spell it out the dumb implication you're making.

How do you think they’re going to make these people learn Mandarin?

Same way they teach math and science lmao.

[–] rockerface@lemmy.cafe 0 points 2 hours ago

It would be nice if we could speak a common language, yes. Then you'd be able to use it to read the article that was linked instead of a single paragraph excerpt and realize the new law is not just about the language.