China’s promotion of standard spoken and written Chinese does not conflict with protecting ethnic languages, as both are guaranteed by the Constitution and laws, a senior legislative official said on Wednesday in Beijing.

Lei Jianbin, deputy director of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee, stated that the Constitution ensures all ethnic groups have freedom to use and develop their own languages. The upcoming Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law, effective July 1, also protects minority language study, use, and development.

Among nearly 3,000 NPC deputies, 442 are from ethnic minority groups, accounting for 14.85 percent. Meeting documents are provided in multiple minority languages, including Mongolian, Tibetan, Uygur, and Zhuang. Lei emphasized that while promoting Putonghua is a constitutional responsibility, it should not be seen as opposing ethnic language rights. Both are legally protected and mutually supportive, helping all groups move toward modernization together while fostering a strong sense of Chinese national community.