Reuters: The U.S. and European Union have expressed concern that the new ethnic unity law gives Beijing the legal basis to take action against people outside its borders. Is the foreign ministry able to elaborate further on whether the law has extra territorial application?

Guo Jiakun: For more information about the Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, I would refer you to the press conference held by the State Council Information Office last month on this legislation.

We would like to point out that China is a multi-ethnic country where various ethnic groups are all equal and united in a harmonious relationship of mutual assistance. Strengthening the rule of law is conducive to better protecting the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups and enhancing ethnic unity. The Chinese government attaches high importance to preserving ethnic minority cultures, and lawfully safeguards the right of all ethnic groups to use and develop their own spoken and written languages. Our practices and achievements in this area have been widely recognized by the international community.

Certain countries, entrenched in ideological prejudice and driven by political manipulation, choose to turn a blind eye to China’s progress in socioeconomic development and human rights protection. Instead, they take things out of context, maliciously slander China’s ethnic policies, and fabricate and spread misinformation. With such gross interference in China’s internal affairs, they attempt to undermine ethnic unity in China. We firmly reject these acts. We urge relevant countries to respect plain facts, stop spreading lies, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs by hyping up ethnic issues.