forbidden to oppress any national minority, forbidden to sabotage ethnic cohesion and to instigate national separatism". 9. Provinces with mixed and dispersed minority populations have also formulated relevant regulations. Thus, the Working Regulations of Dispersed Nationalities of Hunan Province stipulate that "the administrative work for dispersed minorities must fulfil the principle of ethnic equality, unity and common prosperity. It must take into account the characteristics of a minority people. It must try to safeguard the legitimate rights of a minority citizen and to encourage the development of the economy and culture of its people". 10. Some local governments have also formulated xinique provisions to protect the equality of minority languages, freedom of religious beliefs and respect for local customs. Thus the people's government of the Hui Autonomous Region in Ningxia Province has published a set of regulations ensuring respect for the dietary habits, festivals, funerals, special utensils and living quarters of the Hui minority people. 11. Owing to historical and environmental conditions, the minority areas of China are relatively more backward. For this reason, the central and the local governments have for many years made the development of minority areas - in terms of their economy, education, science, culture and health care - an important part of their routine administrative work. 12. In September 1989, the Government held a national conference in Beijing on welfare aid in the minority areas. Having studied various measures to meet the basic needs of minority populations, the conference proposed that the Government should, as part of its economic assistance package, grant tax relief to the poverty areas and set up a "basic needs fund" for the minority poor. 1 3. Between 1984 and 1987, the national Government released from this reserve food, cotton and fabric worth 2.7 billion yuan Rmb to improve the living 
**Analysis**
The text appears to discuss the policies and regulations implemented by the Chinese government to protect the rights and interests of minority groups, particularly in terms of economic development, education, and cultural preservation. It also touches on the issue of poverty alleviation in minority areas. Given the focus on social and economic policies, I hypothesize that the most fitting category is likely to be a combination of categories.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Education, Culture