Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the first of five province-level autonomous regions established in China, celebrated its 60th anniversary with a rally and gala on Wednesday.
About 60,000 people dressed in traditional Mongolian costume attended a grand gathering followed by a gala of dance and song to mark the event in a newly-built sports stadium in Hohhot, the regional capital.
Also present was a 58-member delegation from the central government led by Vice President Zeng Qinghong, who praised the great achievements and "earth-shaking changes" in politics, economy, society, culture and other fields the region had made since its founding on May 1, 1947.
"The founding of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 60 years ago was a model for the Communist Party of China (CPC) in implementing the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities, a great initiative taken by the CPC after combining the cardinal principle of Marxism and the actual situation of China's ethnic groups, and also a milestone in Chinese history of ethnic relations," Zeng told the gathering.
With an area of 1.18 million square kilometers, Inner Mongolia covers 12 percent of China's territory and is the third biggest of the 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities on the Chinese mainland.
Its population stood at 23.92 million at the end of 2006, 4.23 million of whom were ethnic Mongolians. Altogether 49 ethnic groups, out of the country's 56, inhabit the region.
Also on Wednesday, the central government delegation presented to Inner Mongolia a five-meter-tall, 13-ton bronze "ding", an ancient-style cooking vessel usually for commemoration, which is inscribed with the words "Treasure of Ethnic Unity" written by President Hu Jintao.
"Against the backdrop of repeated ethnic conflicts seen in some parts of the world, China has set a fine example in Inner Mongolia through the implementation of its regional autonomy policy for ethnic minorities to properly treat relations among different ethnic groups, which is believed to be a main factor in boosting the region's rapid development," said Hao Shiyuan, director of the Institute of Ethnic Groups Studies with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The region's gross domestic product has grown by 18 percent year on year to reach 479 billion yuan (US$63 billion) last year. Its economic growth has topped all other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities for five years in a row.
The average life expectancy has risen from 35 years to 70.7 years since 1947.
The annual per-capita disposable income reached 10,358 yuan last year for the region's urban residents, up 13.4 percent year-on-year, and 3,342 yuan for the farmers and herdsmen, up 11.8 percent year-on-year, government statistics show.
Yang Jing, chairman of the regional government, said the basic rights of people, such as education, medical care, employment and religious beliefs, have been guaranteed and the Mongolian language and traditional culture has also been preserved and carried forward.
"Ethnic unity has been further consolidated and the idea is becoming more deep-rooted among the Chinese people that the Han nationality cannot be separated from ethnic minorities, the ethnic minorities cannot be separated from the Han nationality, and different ethnic groups cannot be separated from each other," said a congratulatory message to the region jointly sent by the CPC Central Committee, the Standing Committee of National People's Congress, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.
Similar progresses can also be seen in four other province-level autonomous regions -- the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the country's northwest established in October 1955, the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in the south established in March 1958, the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in the northwest established in October 1958, and the Tibet Autonomous Region in the southwest established in September 1965.
"The Chinese government has been advocating equal treatment to different ethnic groups while opposing oppression and secession, encouraging mutual respect between the Han nationality and 55 other minority ethnic groups, and taking various measures to advance the economic development in areas where minority ethnic groups are populated, which are vital to the success of its policy on ethnic groups," Hao said.
Despite challenges to ethnic unity and national unity from "splitting" forces in Xinjiang and Tibet, China has maintained long-term social stability and different ethnic groups have lived together in a harmonious way, because the vast majority of the 123 million ethnic minorities cherish unity among different groups, he said.
Foreign scholars have also shown interest in China's ethnic policy, viewing it as a practical solution to ethnic conflicts, and carried out academic exchanges in this regard with Chinese counterparts, he said.
The first session of National People's Congress, the country's top legislature, convened in 1954, included the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities in the Constitution, and all subsequent revisions reaffirmed the implementation of this system. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, which was amended and issued in 2001, explicitly stipulates that "the system of regional autonomy for ethnic minorities is a basic political system of the state."
The areas practicing regional autonomy for ethnic minorities in China account for 64 percent of the entire territory of the country, according to Mao Gongning, director of the Policy and Law Department with the State Ethnic Affairs Commission.
In addition to the five autonomous regions, China has also established autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties in areas with large numbers of ethnic minorities.
Of the 55 ethnic minorities, 44 have their own ethnic autonomous areas, and the population of ethnic minorities living in areas practicing regional autonomy accounts for 71 percent of the total population of ethnic minorities in China, statistics show.
Zeng said in Wednesday's address that the government would not tolerate secessionist activities, saying, "We must properly treat incidents which may affect ethnic unity and social stability, and strictly guard against and crack down on secessionist and sabotage activities conducted by hostile forces both at home and from abroad."
National interests and interests of all Chinese ethnic groups must be placed ahead of all other things, and ethnic unity, social stability and national unification must be maintained resolutely, Zeng said.
(Xinhua News Agency August 8, 2007)
