1) In today’s world, ethnic issues remain a major challenge for many countries and regions. From Southeast Asia to the Middle East, and then to Africa, ethnic conflicts are the underlying causes behind some regional and international hot topics. Ethnic conflicts can easily escalate and affect the internal stability, economic development, and people’s happiness of a country or region.

2) From this global perspective, looking at the 12th National Ethnic Traditional Sports Games being held in Sanya, Hainan, will provide many special inspirations and insights.

3) According to People’s Daily Online, on November 22nd, the 12th National Ethnic Traditional Sports Games opened grandly in Sanya, Hainan. Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, attended the opening ceremony. Shi Taifeng, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Minister of the United Front Work Department, attended the opening ceremony. Pan Yue, Deputy Minister of the Central United Front Work Department and Director of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, delivered the opening speech, Feng Fei, Secretary of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, delivered the welcome speech, and Gao Zhidan, Director of the General Administration of Sport of China, presided over the opening ceremony.

4) That evening, 56 ethnic groups gathered together at the Sanya Sports Center to play a magnificent symphony of the Chinese nation as a family, working together to build the Chinese Dream. Each delegation held a 30 second stop performance, showcasing the high spirited spirit of the Chinese nation’s children of all ethnic groups working together to advance.

5) This sports meet will last for 9 days, with a total of 6960 athletes from various ethnic groups participating in 18 competition events and 170 performance events. During the sports meet, cultural activities such as ethnic celebrations will also be held. It can be said that this is a grand gathering of the Chinese nation, a gathering of various ethnic groups for exchange, learning, and friendship, as well as a joyful, peaceful, and harmonious event.

6) The National Ethnic Traditional Sports Games is the highest standard and largest comprehensive ethnic sports event in China, and also a major activity of the Party’s ethnic work. Since 1953, after 71 years of development, the sports meet has become an important platform for inheriting and promoting traditional ethnic sports culture, showcasing the achievements of China’s ethnic sports development, enhancing Chinese cultural identity, and building a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation. It has also become an important way to promote communication, exchange, and integration among various ethnic groups, and to advance the construction of the Chinese national community. Holding the National Traditional Ethnic Sports Games is a significant event in the history of the development of ethnic sports in China, and it is not only an important manifestation of the Party’s ethnic policies, but also an important lever for innovating and promoting the cause of ethnic unity and progress.

7) National unity is the lifeline of all ethnic groups in the country and the highest interest of all ethnic groups in the country. For 71 years, the National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games have been held consecutively, with “equality, unity, hard work, and progress” as the clear main theme, and the banner of the great unity of the Chinese nation flying high. As an important component of traditional Chinese sports culture, ethnic traditional sports carry rich historical heritage and cultural essence. They not only reflect the traditional wisdom and way of life of various ethnic groups, but also serve as an important carrier for consolidating national spirit and enhancing cultural identity.
8) In his opening speech, Pan Yue said that General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that in the long river of history, the diligence, simplicity, respect for etiquette and benevolence of agricultural civilization, the enthusiasm, boldness, bravery and strength of grassland civilization, and the inclusiveness and courage to win of maritime civilization have continuously injected the characteristics and endowments of the Chinese nation. Traditional national sports have events shared by many ethnic groups, such as swing, crossbow shooting, Loong Boat, and national equestrian, which condense the rich humanity and life emotion in the process of the diversified and integrated development of the Chinese nation, inherit the traditional Chinese sports spirit, which is formed by the integration of the cultures of various ethnic groups in various regions, and provide an inexhaustible spiritual impetus for the Chinese people to build a common home, strengthen their common identity, share a common name, and realize a common dream.
9) Pan Yue pointed out that this sports meeting highlights the mainline of strengthening the sense of community of the Chinese nation. The participating events are more diverse, and cultural activities are more abundant. Athletes from 56 ethnic groups can participate in all events. Hong Kong and Macao have officially formed groups to participate for the first time, and relevant departments in Taiwan continue to form groups to participate. For the first time in comprehensive sports competitions in China, delegations from various regions have achieved a happy reunion. National unity is the highest honor of the National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games. We should always take safeguarding national unity and national unity as the theme of the meeting, sing the colorful movement of “the Chinese nation is a family” together, and make new and greater contributions to promoting Chinese path to modernization with the great unity of the Chinese nation.

10) Looking at the world, for a multi-ethnic country like China, it is crucial to do a good job in ethnic work and maintain ethnic unity. China is one of the few countries in the world that has truly achieved equality and harmonious coexistence among all ethnic groups. National unity is an important foundation for the harmony and stability of Chinese society, as well as for the unity of over 1.4 billion Chinese people to achieve the great goals of building a strong country and national rejuvenation. The world is still not calm today, and some Western hostile forces occasionally use so-called ethnic issues as leverage to baselessly slander and attack China, and use this as part of their strategy to contain and suppress China. We need to have a clear understanding of this. Doing a good job in ethnic work, maintaining ethnic unity, and forging a sense of community for the Chinese nation are our best responses to the provocations of Western hostile forces on ethnic issues. The unique sports event held in Sanya is a vivid embodiment of China’s national unity and will also make new contributions to further maintaining and consolidating the situation of China’s national unity.