China says officials should learn minority languages

Students study Chinese characters at Qunxing international school in Yiwu, Zhejiang province March 7, 2008. REUTERS/Aly Song

BEIJING (Reuters) - Officials from China's majority Han population who work in ethnic minority regions need to make an effort to become conversant in their languages, the government said on Monday, calling for better understanding of minority cultures.

China has more than 50 minority groups, many of whom have their own distinct cultures, ranging from groups with large populations like the Tibetans and Mongols to tiny minorities with threatened languages, including the shamanistic Evenki.