That the Han ethnicity dominate in China is beside the point. Which is that others exist there, as they do here, but they are all Chinese, just as the English, Welsh, Scots and Northern Irish are all British.

Historically there has been significant intermarriage between the Han and the minority groups and whilst current data is sparse there is no reason to suppose, due to the type of society in China, that doesn’t still exist. Young people mix and mingle freely. The various ethnicities may have different cultures but the gene pools won’t be unique.

With our own more recent immigrant communities that mixing hasn’t yet reached the same levels but it’s started, being more advanced with those who arrived a few decades ago, and well established with those who arrived centuries ago.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

You are legally Chinese if you have a Chinese passport. How you identify will depend on how you view yourself.

Skin colour has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on ethnicity. Or racial identity:-

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For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.

So everyone is exactly the same and can just call themselves what they like? That is in effect what you are saying.

So the knowledge of culture and history which you said is important actually doesn't matter.

i wish this website had an 'ignore' button

Kayla did Anfield & Old Trafford

Of course not! That’s just a twisted version of something really simple.

People aren’t the same. Everyone is unique. Even identical twins aren’t identical!

The point is who determines ethnicity? Is it how you feel, or is it what others believe is required? If the latter is some kind of genetic threshold, how on earth is that going to be determined?

Every definition of ethnicity I have seen says that it is determined by the acceptance and respect for heritage, history and culture that an individual believes is their own.

It’s the only practical approach. It doesn’t impact anyone else, who don’t even need to know what any individual feels. It’s personal to them. Others can think and believe whatever they like. It only matters to people like the ONS when gathering data to determine trends and to inform government where resources are needed.

Many people are going to identify exactly as you or I would also identify them. However, we wouldn’t know if someone we thought was English was actually English until they opened their mouth, or sometimes their heart. They could identify in many other ways. Conversely, you might think someone was English, based on a phone or online conversation, but change your mind when you saw them.

Why should anyone else care what someone feels about themselves? Unless the true motivation had nothing actually to do with ethnicity itself but a desire to exclude those they don’t want included, for reasons of fear or loathing.

If true, as all the indications suggest it is, then it presents echoes of some extremely distasteful episodes from history.

Episodes that some may want to forget, ignore or brush under the carpet. Some though don’t.

Lest we forget applies to many things.

For the avoidance of doubt any comments in response to a previous post are directed to its ideas and not at any, or all, posters personally.