In accordance with the Constitution, under unified national leadership, self-government is exercised in areas heavily resided with ethnic minorities. Organs of self-government in these areas administer the right of self-government. The organs of self-government of national autonomous areas are the people's congresses and the people's governments of autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures and autonomous counties. Self-government cannot be exercised in the towns heavily resided with ethnic minorities for they are small and restrained by economic conditions. The towns are named nationality townships, and the people's congresses and people's governments there are not organs of self-government.

The organs of self-government of national autonomous areas are at the same time part and parcel of the local organs of state power. The people's governments of the national autonomous areas are local organs of state administration under the unified leadership of the State Council and are subordinate to the State Council. Therefore, they are the same in establishment, terms of office and organization as ordinary local organs of state.

The organs of self-government of autonomous regions, prefectures and counties exercise the functions and powers of local organs of state as specified in the Constitution. At the same time, they exercise the power of autonomy within the limits of their authority as prescribed by the Constitution, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy and other laws and implement the laws and policies of the state in the light of the existing local situation.

The people's congresses of the national autonomous areas have the power to enact regulations on the exercise of autonomy and other separate regulations in the light of the political, economic and cultural characteristics of the nationality or nationalities in the areas concerned. The regulations on the exercise of autonomy and other separate regulations of autonomous regions shall be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for approval before they go into effect. Those of autonomous prefectures and counties shall be submitted to the standing committees of the people's congresses of provinces or autonomous regions for approval before they go into effect, and they shall be reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for the record.

All revenues accruing to the national autonomous areas under the financial system of the state shall be managed and used by the organs of self-government of those areas on their own.

The organs of self-government of the national autonomous areas, under the guidance of the state plans, independently arrange for and administer local economic development, administer educational, scientific, cultural, public health and physical culture affairs in their respective areas, protect and sift through the cultural heritage of the nationalities and work for a vigorous development of their cultures. The organs of self-government of the national autonomous areas may, in accordance with the military system of the state and practical local needs and with the approval of the State Council, organize local public security forces for the maintenance of public order.