"The West has no right to lecture us," Xing Guangcheng, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and head of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of Chinese Borderland Studies, said.

Xing, from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, made the remarks in response to criticism from some Western media over a provision in a draft bill on promoting ethnic unity and progress.

When the draft was submitted for a second reading at the NPC Standing Committee in December, it added that schools and other educational institutions should use standard Chinese as the basic language of instruction.

Xing said the provision should not be interpreted as a language issue. Instead, he noted, it is closely related to people's livelihoods and development opportunities.

Without the ability to speak and write standard Chinese, many people — especially young people from ethnic minorities — may find it difficult to benefit from the opportunities created by China's nationwide development.