İEdward J. Vajda
(Most data based on the 1982 census. Exact figures for native speakers are unavailable in most cases.)
Turkic:
Uighur (nearly 6 million, most of whom speak Uighur),
Yugur (Yellow Uighur) (10,569), Salar (a dialect of Uighur) (69,102).
In addition, there are substantial numbers of Kazaks, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, and Tatars in parts of Western China, many of whom retain their language and ethnic identity.
Mongolian:
Mongol (3,411,657 > most speak a dialect of Mongol; there are also nearly 2 mill. Mongol speakers in the independent Republic of Mongolia).
In additon, the following Mongol peoples live entirely in the People's Republic of China: Daur (Dagur) (94,014), Santa (Dongxiang) (279,397),
Monguor (Tu) (159,426), Bonan (9,027).
Tungusic:
Ewenki (Solon) (19,343), Orochen (4,132), Hezhen(Nanai) (1,476).
Manchu (Manchu and Tungusic are branches of one language family):
Manchu (4,299,159 > virtually all have abandoned the Manchu language for Chinese), Sibe (Xibo) (83,629).
Although outside the area under consideration, we should also mention the TIBETANS, who live in the mountainous southwestern part of the People's Republic of China (in the Tibet Autonomous Region, as well as in neighboring Qinghai and Sichuan). TIBET, a country with a long history and unique Buddhist culture and traditions, has been under a brutal Chinese occupation since 1950. Despite repressions bordering on the genocidal, over 4.5 million Tibetans live in the Peoples Republic of China (though less than half live in Tibet proper); most still speak Tibetan. The Tibetan language is distantly related to Chinese (as part of the Sino-Tibetan family, which also includes Burmese and numerous minority languages of southern China and Southeast Asia. Modern Tibetan is written with a horizontal script invented in the 7th century AD and based on the alphabets of India.