The State Council, China's cabinet, is asking for public opinion on a draft law intended to monitor Chinese ethnic identities, acccording to the Global Times.
Conceived by the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Public Security, the draft law aimed at striking a balance among China's various ethnic groups in order for the state to confer privileges to the right individuals based on their identity as being part of an ethnic minority.
Among the stipulations of the law is the meting out of punishment to people who are proven to have purposefully declared a wrong identity.
To determine offenders, the draft law enumerates definitions and policies, such as that the ethnic identity of a Chinese citizen is derived from either the mother's or the father's indigenous identity.
The parents may be natural, foster or step-parents.
In addition to this, the draft stipulates that statutory guardians may alter the ethnic identities of children under their care if there is a change in the parents' marital status or if the children are adopted.
On these conditions, the children may follow the ethnic identity of either parent who raises them.
The draft also says that, in the case of children whose parents have different nationalities, the ethnic identity of the children will follow that of their Chinese parent if they choose to have a Chinese nationality.
Violations of these policies include "falsified ethnic identity through forgery, tampering or false testimonial," according to the draft, as reported by the news agency.
Those found to have lied about their identity will have any privileges granted to them by law revoked, the draft law says.
Furthermore, if falsifications prove to be of a criminal nature, offenders will be penalized accordingly, it says.
Citizens may make their opinions on the law heard by logging onto the website www.chinalaw.gov.cn.
The draft is open to public discussion until Jan. 1, 2015.