China currently has 2.915 million officials from different ethic minorities, accounting for 7.4 percent of the country's total, up 2.6 percent from 2000, according to the State Ethnic Affairs Commission (SEAC).

The governments of ethnic minority autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties are all headed by citizens from local ethic minorities, the SEAC said.

Directors or vice directors of the Standing Committees of local legislatures in the country's 155 minority autonomous areas also have to be from ethnic minorities.

However, there was not enough reserve for officials from ethnic minorities, the educational background of some officials remain low, and at the same time, some areas suffered from a brain drain, according to the SEAC.

China has 56 ethnic groups. Han people account for about 90 percent of its total population.

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2008)