The State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC) said Monday that 1,000 minority villages will be protected and improved from 2011 to 2015.
According to a SEAC guideline, villages should have at least 50 households with more than 30 percent of residents from an ethnic minority background.
Living conditions in the villages should be improved and basic infrastructure should be ensured, including water, electricity, roads and telecommunication, said the guideline.
China will also help villages to increase personal incomes and further construct the public service system.
More than 95 percent of school age children should be at schools, and over 60 percent of the labor force should receive skills training, the guideline said.
The central government has invested 270 million yuan ($43.4 million) since 2009 to protect villages with minority characteristics in 28 regions nationwide.
Xinhua - Global Times
Cumquat market in S China's Guangxi