China will amend the law on regional autonomy for its ethnic minority group which has stood since 1984, according to Li Dezhu, minister in charge of the StateEthnic Affairs Commission.

In a remark made today at a working meeting attended by provincial ethnic affairs officials, Li said that autonomy regulations for China's five autonomous regions will also be made or amended in an effort to promote legal construction in areas inhabited by ethnic groups.

"More and better laws will help enhance an equal, united, and mutually beneficial relationship among all of China's 56 nationalities," he said.

He also vowed that more efforts will be made to train and use more ethnic minority cadres and promote the cultural level and education of those ethnic groups each with a population below 100,000.

State Councilor Ismail Amat attended today's meeting and urged related departments to handle ethnic affairs better in order to better serve the nation's reform, social stability, and development.

"The importance of ethnic affairs should be fully understood, and cadres from all ethnic groups should take responsibility to prevent and fight all crimes harmful to the nation's unity, social stability, and reunification," he stressed.