The State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China is one of the departments of the State Council. The State Ethnic Affairs Commission is responsible for the implementation of the policies of the CPC and theories on nationality research and national education. It also supervises the implementation - and monitors the performance - of regional national autonomy systems and the handling of matters related to the protection of rights and interests of minority nationalities.

The Central People’s Government established the Central National Committee Ethnic Affairs Commission on Oct 22, 1949 and, in 1954, at the First Session of the First National People’s Congress, it was renamed State Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China. On June 22, 1970, the commission was withdrawn but, in 1978, a decision to restore the State Ethnic Affairs Commission was made at the First Session of the Fifth National People’s Congress, and since then it has been referred to as the State Ethnic Affairs Commission serving various departments of the State Council.