China moves to enact ethnic unity law, sparking assimilation concerns

China is set to approve a new "ethnic unity" law critics say will enforce assimilation and diminish minority rights. The law mandates Mandarin Chinese in education and promotes a unified national consciousness, potentially overriding existing autonomy provisions for ethnic groups. This measure is seen by experts as a significant shift in China's ethnic policies, with concerns raised about the impact on minority languages and cultural identities.