Abstract: Due to various historical reasons, all ethnic groups and tribes within one nation can vary in their cultural traditions and their historical relationships with the central government. Variability is also seen in their economic status and power, as well as in their members’ access to resources and opportunities for development. These crossgroup differences should never be neglected. All governments must be realistic and respect their states at present and in the past when making policies for different ethnic groups. Many successful examples can be found in the Chinese past dynasties. However, since the founding of New China, the government has been exercising uniform policies in handling ethnic issues, which underscores the situation of the nation but overlooks the situation of each ethnic group or tribe. These policies have been in practice for more than half a century; now it is time to check their effects. This paper reviews how Chinese ethnic groups used to be classified in the literature of the history of the nation’s ethnic groups and discusses the differences across these ethnic groups. Based on the variables of population size, intergroup marriage,culture, relationship with the central government and independent nation/state establishment outside the border,the paper presents a rudimental classification of the 55 ethnic groups in China, with each group’s characteristics summarized and analyzed,in hope that reflection upon the ethnic theories and related policies in China will be stimulated.

Key words: ethnic policies, ethnic relations, group characteristics, historical experience