China to inspect enforcement of regional autonomy law

China's top legislature is about to send inspectors to check enforcement of the regional ethnic autonomy law, which allows ethnic minorities to govern certain regions autonomously.

"Our country's ethnic regions are at a crucial stage for boosting development, implementing reforms and solving growing conflicts -- some of which were left from historical periods while others emerged when the old ones were being dealt with," said a statement issued after a meeting of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee on Tuesday.

Aiming to "analyze conflicts and solve problems", the inspection will survey the progress of infrastructure construction, notably transportation and use of water, and the implementation of favorable financial policies in autonomous regions, the statement said.

Other key fields include environmental protection, selection of officials from minority groups, education in ethnic culture and various regulations made within the framework of the law.

Five groups of inspectors will be dispatched to the country's five autonomous regions including Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as the provinces of Jilin, Guizhou, Yunnan, Gansu and Qinghai between mid-July and September. Their findings will be delivered to the top legislature in late December.

The regional ethnic autonomy law was enacted in May 1984 and was put into effect on Oct. 1 in the same year, implementing the regional ethnic autonomy system that was established in the country's Constitution. Endi