Xinjiang (新疆 )The PRC’s Domestic PolicyBy: Jacob Rusoff

Xinjiang• Officially The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous

Region (XUAR) • Borders 8 countries

Afghanistan, Russia, Mongolia, India, Pakistan Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan

• Largest Region in China by Area 642,800 Sq. Miles (Approx.. 17% of China’s total

area) Roughly the Size of Mongolia

• Population: 21,813,334 Roughly the size of Taiwan (Approx. 15% of China’s total population)

• Capital: Ürümqi

46.1

39.2

14.7

Population by Ethinicity in Xinjiang (2008)

Uyghur Han Other

China’s History in Xinjiang• A historically nomadic and ethnically diverse region• 121 BCE Han Dynasty defeat the Xiongnu to the West formally spreading

control to Xinjiang• Trade routes developed overtime creating the silk road• Large numbers of ethnic groups

begin to emigrate to Xnjiang Influx of Uyghurs in 840AD

• Power of the dynasties fluctuated but they continued to have administrative control over Xinjiang

• Tang Dynasty increased ethnic tension

• Qing Dynasty suppressed nationalistic and foreign insurrections Pragmatic

Autonomous Region• 1955 Xinjiang was converted from a,

“Province” to an, “Autonomous Region”• Provide constitutional rights, not

afforded to provinces, in an attempt to promote social harmony and national unity in multi-ethnic regions Chairman must be of the titular ethnicity Have financial autonomy

• Not actually the case More of a means to provide a façade of

self-determination Power in the hands of the local CCP

secretary; HanXinjian

g (Uyg

hur)

Tibet

(Tibe

tan)

Inner

Mongo

lia (M

ongo

l)

Ningxia

(Hui)

Guang

xi (Zh

uang

)0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

100.00%

Ethnicities of the Autonomous Regions of China

Primary Non-Han Ethnic Group Han Chinese

Ethnic-Based Civil Unrest• 1911 waves of global nationalism

and the fall of the Qing Dynasty Uyghurs twice tried to create an

independent state unsuccessfully• 1949 Communist Revolution

Power consolidation in Xinjiang made a priority

Beginning of incentivized “Hanification”

• 1991 Fall of Soviet Union Increased nationalism and

separatism in Xinjiang as Central Asian countries gained independent states

• Chinese Crack Down 1995 ban of Meshreps (religious social

gatherings) 2015 ban on religion in state-owned

entities, and online Unconstitutional imprisonment Torture

• “Terrorism” March 2014 Train Station Attack May 2014 Ürümqi Bus Bombing

Hanification• Starts in 1949• Exponential Hanification more recently• Increasing Ethnic Tensins• The Xinjiang Production and Construction

Corp (XPCC) SOE charged with the construction and

operation of agricultural communities Controlled areas have population of 2.6 Million

(86% Ethnically Han) 17% of Xinjiang GDP

• Government Incentives 2015 Qiemo Intermarriage Subsidy

$1,600 a year for 5 years Priority housing Government Jobs Health Care Benefits, Free Child Education

82.7

6.211.1

Population by Ethinicity in Xinjiang 1945

Uyghur Han Other

46.1

39.2

14.7

Population by Ethinicity in Xinjiang (2008)

Uyghur Han Other

Economic and Geopolitical Importance• Massive mineral and ore reserves

Iron Ore reserves totaling 750 million tons, larger then South Africa’s total proven reserves

• Vast fossil fuel resources such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal Natural gas reserves estimated at 30 billion tons,

accounting for roughly 25% of the domestic total Coal reserves are 38% of the domestic total equating to

reserves of approximately 44 billion tons

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

1995

0.0%10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%90.0%100.0%

17%17%18%17%20%18%17%18%17%20%21%22%19%19%21%23%26%27%28%30%

42%42%46%49%48%45%50%47%48%45%41%38%

37%38%39%36%36%37%35%35%

41%41%36%34%32%37%34%35%35%36%38%40%44%42%39%41%38%36%38%36%

Xinjiang GDP by Sector (1995-2014)

Agriculture Industry Service

Xinjiang Beijing Shanghai0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

0%2%4%6%8%10%12%14%16%

9

25

31

14%10%

7%

GDP Growth (2010-2014)

Out of 31 Provinces Avg Annual GDP Growth Rate