China’s push to create a single national identity
Inner Mongolia is the latest target
THE STREET signs in Inner Mongolia, a region in northern China, are written in two languages. There are the blocky characters of Mandarin, the mother tongue of most Chinese. Then there is the vertically-written script of Mongolian, which is spoken by many people in the region. The language is not just seen on signs; it is heard in cafés and used in classrooms (such as the one pictured). More Mongols live in Inner Mongolia than in Mongolia, the country next door.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Assimilation game”
From the September 16th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from China
China approves the world’s most expensive infrastructure project
It has China’s neighbours on edge
Xi Jinping has much to worry about in 2025
A struggling economy, rising social tensions and Donald Trump will test China’s leader
How China turns members of its diaspora into spies
America is on the hunt for these non-traditional agents. But its efforts risk backfiring
How to get a free meal in China
As the economy slows, more restaurants are offering food to those in need
China’s economy is in for another rough year
Bold action is needed to turn things around
Chinese hackers are deep inside America’s telecoms networks
Rooting them out is proving a challenge