CHINESE LAW AND GOVERNMENT

2016, VOL. 48, NO. 4, 271274

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00094609.2016.1118306

INTRODUCTION

An Overview of Chinese Language Law and Regulation

Haiying Pan
School of Foreign Language Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China

China is a multiethnic, multilanguage, and multi-scripts country of fifty-six nations, more

than a hundred languages, and more than ten written scripts. The predominant language in
China, which is known as simplified Chinese, is divided into seven major dialect groups
that differ from each other to such a degree that dialects from different regions can often
be mutually unintelligible. Furthermore, several other autonomous regions have their own
official languages. Thus the construction of the legal system of language plays a significant
role in China in safeguarding state sovereignty, promoting ethnic unity, and facilitating the
construction of Chinese modernization.
Adopted at the Eighteenth Meeting of the Ninth National Peoples Congress Standing
Committee of the Peoples Republic of China on October 31, 2000, the Law of the Peoples
Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language is the first
national law on language. The law sets the language status of Putonghua and Standard
Chinese characters as the national general language. The language policy embodied in
the language law is to promote Putonghua and implement Standard Chinese characters.
The language law stipulates that every citizen has the right to learn and use the national
general language, and the staff members involved in state organs and peoples organizations, news media, education, and public services have the obligation to learn and use
the national general language. The language law also emphasizes that all ethnic groups have
the right to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.
Since its promulgation, all the regions have designed the implementation measures or
regulations for the language law to address the specific issues of each region. Up to
now, thirty-two regional language measures or regulations have been issued by: Beijing
Municipality, Shanxi Province, Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality, Shandong
Province, Hubei Province, Tianjin Municipality, Yunnan Province, Liaoning Province, Jilin
Province, Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province, Hunan Province, Fujian Province,
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Anhui Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,
Zhejiang Province, Guizhou Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shaanxi
Province, Hebei Province, Hainan Province, Shantou, Taiyuan, Dalian, Xian, Nanchang,
Guiyang, Tibet Autonomous Region, Heilongjiang Province, and Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region.
Language work committees were established to thoroughly implement the language law
and regional measures or regulations. Up to 2010, 32 provincial level (autonomous region
and municipality) language work committees were established with 207 full-time and parttime employees, and 482 city-level language work committees were established involving
1,022 working members.

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Categories of language law and regulations

A thorough analysis of these policies reveals that through decades of efforts, China has
established its own framework for a language law system. The main policies embodied
in the language legislation can be categorized in national, regional, and vocational levels
with different tasks and features for the improvement of language life in China.
National level
At the national level, language law is the fundamental attitude toward social language issues
held by the nation and the government. The following two language policies were
introduced to elaborate the guiding ideology, objectives and tasks, and focal points of work
for Chinas language planning and policy: the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on
the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, issued by the National Peoples
Congress on October 30, 2000; and the Outline of National Long-term Reform and Development of Spoken and Written Chinese Language, issued by the Ministry of Education on
December 12, 2012.
The two fundamental national policies embodied in the language legislation are: the
state popularizes Putonghua and promotes standardized Chinese characters; and all ethnic groups have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages.
The vigorous promotion of Putonghua and national Standard Chinese characters serves to
facilitate communication among the speakers of several mutually unintelligible varieties of
Chinese as well as among Chinese ethnic groups. Although the use of Standard Chinese is
vigorously promoted as the common language, the Chinese government has been sensitive
to the status of ethnic languages and has respected the freedom of all ethnic groups to use
and develop their own spoken and written languages. The spoken and written languages of
all ethnic groups are considered the valuable cultural resources of the country, and should
thus be scientifically protected. The perfect combination of variety and unity is the main
theme of Chinas language policy.
Regional level
At the regional level, under the guidance of Chinas language law and regulations and based
on specific regional situations, the following regulations were put forward to popularize
Putonghua and implement the standardized Chinese characters, to achieve language
harmony between Putonghua and local dialects, between national common language and
ethnic languages, and between Standard Chinese and foreign language, to scientifically protect local language resources, and to provide better language services to contribute to local
economic and social development: Provisions of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the
Study, Use, and Development of the Tibetan Language, issued by the Tibet Autonomous
Region Peoples Congress; Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Regulations on Spoken
and Written Language, issued by the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Peoples
Congress; Yunnan Regulation on National Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, issued by the Yunnan Peoples Congress; Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Regulations on Mongolian Language, issued by the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Peoples Congress; Shanghai Regulations for the Implementation of the Law of the

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Peoples Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language,
issued by the Shanghai Peoples Congress; Fujian Regulations for the Implementation
of the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the Standard Spoken and Written Chinese
Language, issued by the Fujian Peoples Congress; Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region
Regulations on the Implementation of the Law of the Peoples Republic of China on the
Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, issued by the Ningxia Hui Autonomous
Region government; Guangdong Regulations on the Implementation of National Standard
Spoken and Written Chinese Language, issued by the Guangdong government.
The Tibetan Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Yunnan
Province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanghai, Fujian Province, Ningxia Hui
Autonomous Region, and Guangdong Province were selected to introduce their language
regulations and provisions because all these places display different features of language,
and thus require special objectives and tasks in the management of the life language and
different focal points of work. I will take Shanghai, Fujian Province, and Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region as examples to illustrate the point. Located in the Yangtze River Delta
in East China, Shanghai is a global financial center in China. Promoting Putonghua and
implementing standard written characters has been the main focus of Shanghai language
regulation to improve Shanghai citizens proficiency in the use of national standard spoken
and written language to provide better language services to people coming from all over the
country. In Fujian Province, promoting Putonghua and implementing standard written
characters has also been the focal task to facilitate exchanges, foster national identity, safeguard the unity of national sovereignty, and promote economic and social progress. Apart
from Putonghua, Min dialects are also spoken by some 75 million individuals primarily in
Fujian Province. It is stipulated in the language measures of Fujian Province that dialects
may be used as needed for economic and cultural exchanges and other contacts with the
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region,
and the Taiwan Region. Min dialects play an important role in maintaining a good interpersonal relationship with Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan compatriots. Thus, promoting
Putonghua, implementing standard written characters, and developing Min dialects to
hand down history and culture form the basic content of managing language life in Fujian
Province. In Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Mongolian is the common spoken and
written language of this autonomous region. The concept of linguistic resources and awareness of language conservation were strengthened in autonomous regions and various
activities were launched to popularize the standard pronunciation of the Mongolian language and safeguard the right of citizens of Mongolian ethnicity to learn, use, research,
and develop spoken and written Mongolian. At the same time, promoting Putonghua
and implementing national standard written characters were also a focal task of language
planning and policy in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region aimed to improve the linguistic abilities of citizens and to build a harmonious linguistic existence.
Vocational level
At the vocational level, the following regulations, provisions, and notices were put forward
to supervise and inspect services for social applications of the standard spoken and written
language: On January 15, 1998, the Regulations on Advertising Language Management
were issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of China; on March

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16, 2005, Notice of the State Administration of Radio, Film, and Television on Strengthening the Management of Subtitles Broadcast in TV Programs was issued by the SARFT;
on March 15, 2006, the Regulations on Drug Insert Sheets and Package Labels were
issued by the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA). These regulations, provisions,
and notices were put forward to monitor the actual state of the use of the languages, and to
carry out norm and standard compliance checks and certification.

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