Commentary: Understanding critical importance of national unification: China's rooted tradition of unity

BEIJING, June 9 (Xinhua) -- China's deep-rooted tradition of unity, a fundamental aspect of its millennia-old civilization, has determined the critical importance of national unification to the Chinese people.

Spanning over 5,000 years, the history of China is one of various ethnic groups coming together to form the diverse and unified Chinese nation, as well as a tale of a shared effort to establish, advance and solidify a great homeland.

At a recent meeting, President Xi Jinping said Chinese civilization is characterized by strong unity, which has facilitated the cultural integration of diverse ethnic groups and bolstered their resilience in the face of adversity.

The feature "determines that national unification always stays at the heart of China's core interests and a strong and unified country is the pillar upon which the wellbeing of all Chinese people depends," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Xi's discourse has elevated the safeguarding of national unification to the height of a unique feature of Chinese civilization.

The tradition of upholding unity in Chinese civilization is deeply ingrained in its unique cultural identity and common beliefs.

Over the five millennia of Chinese history, the nation has integrated various ethnic cultures, forming a unified cultural space through exchanges and integration. The cultural identity of Chinese civilization serves as a shared spiritual home that provides a strong foundation for the integration of diverse ethnic groups.

As Xi has highlighted, the attribute of strong unity of Chinese civilization is "why different ethnic cultures of the Chinese nation are integrated and can rally close together even when faced with major setbacks."

China has faced numerous significant setbacks throughout its history, yet the strong sense of cultural identity and patriotic spirit of its diverse population has enabled the status of the Chinese nation as a unified entity to remain unchanged while preserving its shared spiritual home.

Additionally, a common belief in the importance of preserving China's unity has played a vital role. This belief holds that the homeland cannot be divided, the country cannot be destabilized, the ethnic groups cannot be separated, and the civilization cannot be disrupted.

Despite turmoil, political separatism, and warfare at various points in the course of Chinese history, a unified and stable country has always been the mainstream of Chinese history.

The motherland is a treasure left by the ancestors and a home created jointly by various ethnic groups in China. Any attempt to divide the homeland or split the territory opposes the trend and must be curbed.

As history has shown, various ethnic groups gradually formed a shared community through exchange, communication and integration. The community's shared future relies on a unified China, and the destiny of all ethnic groups is intrinsically tied to a unified multi-ethnic country.

In the new era, China has fulfilled its promise to leave no ethnic minority group behind in its quest for a moderately prosperous society in all respects. By the end of 2020, China had lifted all of its nearly 100 million impoverished rural residents out of poverty, including 31.21 million from ethnic minority regions. This milestone underscores China's unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of all its citizens, regardless of ethnicity.

A robust and unified nation can best safeguard the interests of China's diverse ethnic groups and cater to their needs in terms of material and cultural development.

The pursuit of unity and unification is an intrinsic drive that is inherent to the Chinese nation. National unification is at the heart of China's core interests, which is fundamentally determined by the feature of strong unity of Chinese civilization.