Coursework for Great Powers and the Muslim World, Sciences-Po Paris, Spring 2010.

1. &
TENSIONS IN XINJIANG
THE CONSEQUENCES ON CHINESE FP
Presented by Xiren Wang, Sciences Po, Paris, 9 April 2010

2. Core Question
2 3
A SECESSIONIST THREAT
COMING FROM THE WEST?
4 1

3. Xinjiang Uyghur
WEST Autonomous Region

4. SECESSION
/sisesh’n/
• noun the action of withdrawing from a federation or organization.
— DERIVATIVES secessionism noun.
An Islamic State of
Uyghur Nationalism Separatism
East Turkistan?
Autonomy

5. Violence Separatist Ideology Foreign powers
THREAT
National Identity,
Stability ‘One-China’ Policy
Independence, &
Sovereignty

6. Origin of secessionist ideas
«COMING FROM»
Reactions from the actors involved

7. Overview
1) The historical evolution of the
secessionist threat from the XinJiang Uyghur
Autonomous Region
2) Current tensions post July 5, 2009
3) Impacts on Chinese Foreign Policy &
International Relations (IR)

8. People
Population:19,630,000
Ethnic Groups: Uyghur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongol

10. Culture closely related to Central Asia

11. Significant Events
First documented incidents of violent Uyghur separatist
1932–33
activities.
1933-34 First East Turkistan Republic
1944-49 Second East Turkistan Republic
1958-61 Great Leap Forward
1966-76 Cultural Revolution
1990-2001 Over 200 recorded Uyghur separatist attacks

12. 1. 2.
Sept. 1933 - Feb. 1934 Nov. 12, 1944 - Oct. 20, 1949
TURKISH ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF EAST
TURKESTAN
EAST TURKESTAN REPUBLIC

13. East Turkistan
Independence Movement
Advocates of an
independent East
Turkistan
Not to be confused with
the East Turkistan Islamic
Movement (ETIM)

15. A Chain of Actions & Reactions
Argument causing death of 2
Uighur workers in Guangdong
Organized Protests in Urumqi,
Xinjiang, July 5, 2009.
Protests sparked riots and
extreme violence
Deathtoll varies/unknown.
Reported figures:
Within 300 hundred dead; On 26 June Han and Uighurs at a toy factory in the
between 800-2000 injured. Guangdong town of Shaoguan fought each other for hours,
leaving at least two dead and 118 injured. - BBC

16. http://www.cctv.com/english/special/0705riots/UrumqiRiots/index.shtml

17. The Official Details
http://www.cctv.com/english/special/0705riots/homepage/index.shtml

18. 24 HOURS LATER...
"To prevent further unrest, the government blocked access to the Web and
suspended international calls and short message services in the region 24 hours
after the July 5 riot because they were vital tools used by ringleaders to
instigate the riots in Urumqi, capital of the region,"
Yang Maofa, director of the regional telecommunications administration

19. International Response to 7.5
Diplomatic envoys from 26 countries and regions in China began a five-day
visit to better understand the situation.
Representatives included those from Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,
Syria, Turkey, Afghanistan, Sweden, Australia, and the United States.

20. http://www.cctv.com/english/special/0705riots/homepage/index.shtml

21. Don’t Twist Facts
‘‘
Mr Erdogan's description of the riots in Xinjiang as "a kind
of genocide" is an irresponsible and groundless accusation.
The fact that 137 of the 184 persons killed in the riots are Han
Chinese speaks volumes for the nature of the event.
’’
Zhang Ning | Source: China Daily

22. Don’t Twist Facts
‘‘
The efforts the central and local governments have been making to
restore order and clear the misunderstanding between the Uygur
and Han communities are what local residents of different ethnic
groups really want and need for leading a peaceful and happy life.
’’
Zhang Ning | Source: China Daily

23. Other Actors &
the «Hidden Agenda»
World Uyghur Congress (WUC)
National Endowment for Democracy (NED)

24. World Uyghur
Congress
•Formed in April 2004, Munich,
Germany
•Current President Rebiya Kadeer
•Funded by US organization: the
National Endowment for Democracy
•Designated as a terrorist
organization by the Chinese gov’t

25. A private, nonprofit foundation dedicated to the growth and strengthening of
democratic institutions around the world. Each year, with funding from the
US Congress, NED supports more than 1,000 projects of non-governmental
groups abroad working for democratic goals in more than 90 countries.

26. http://www.cctv.com/english/special/0705riots/Unveil_plot/index.shtml

27. http://www.cctv.com/english/special/0705riots/Unveil_plot/index.shtml

28. A Need for Policy Adjustments
"The policies (towards ethnic minorities) themselves will definitely
need adjustments. We have to adjust to the actual situation. China is a
multi-ethnic society... If adjustments are not made promptly, there will
be problems." Wang Yang to Hu JinTao, July 2009

29. Affected Policy Areas
Politics
Economics & Development
Religion
Ethnic minorities
Immigration

30. Influence on PRC’s Agenda
War on Terror
National Defence Mobilization Law
China’s “anti-secession law”

31. Sovereignty & Territorial Integrity
Anti-secession law, Article 8
In the event that secessionist forces should act under any
name or by any means to cause a region’s secession from
China, or that major incidents entailing a region's secession
from China should occur, or that possibilities for a peaceful
reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall
employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to
protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

32. International Relations
Central Asia
Islamic Countries
Russia:Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly
Cooperation Between the People's Republic of China and the
Russian Federation
USA: Sino-American counter-terrorism cooperation
International Community & Institutions

33. Geopolitics & IR

34. 2009

35. 2011
N.B. year indicates proposed operational date

36. Shanghai
Cooperation
Organization
Memberstates:
China, Russia, Kazakhstan,
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Tajikistan
Formal Observers:
Iran, Pakistan, India and Mongolia

38. Relations with the Muslim World
China's policy of total control has upset Islamic states,
‘‘
especially in the past week. Protesting Muslims in Indonesia
called for a jihad against China on Monday, clashing with
police outside the Chinese embassy in Jakarta.
’’
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5826040/China-pleads-for-understanding-as-al-Qaeda-vows-revenge-over-Uighur-deaths.html

39. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5826040/China-pleads-for-understanding-as-al-Qaeda-vows-revenge-over-Uighur-deaths.html

40. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5826040/China-pleads-for-understanding-as-al-Qaeda-vows-revenge-over-Uighur-deaths.html

41. Core of China’s Foreign Policy
China has unswervingly pursued an independent foreign policy of peace.
Its basic objectives center on safeguarding national independence and state sovereignty, and
creating an international environment favorable to its reform, opening and modernization
efforts, as well as maintaining world peace and promoting common development.
Maintaining independence.
Maintaining world peace.
Friendly relations and cooperation.
Good-neighborly and friendly relations.
Enhanced unity and cooperation with developing countries.
Maintaining an open policy to both developed and developing
countries.

42. Towards a New Order
Five principles of peaceful coexistence
and other international norms:
1.Mutual respect for each nation's sovereignty
and territorial integrity
2.Mutual non-aggression
3.Non-interference in each other's internal affairs
4.Equality and mutual benefits, and
5.Peaceful coexistence.

43. «We all look up to Turkey as an example of where we want to be,
but there’s also the possibility of becoming the next Afghanistan»
~Liu Sichen, March 4, 2010

44. Sources
Bhattacharji, Preeti. Uighurs and China's Xinjiang Region. http://www.cfr.org/publication/16870/
Chan, John. China’s “anti-secession law” adds to tension in North East Asia, International Committee of the Fourth International.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2005/mar2005/chin-m16.shtml 16 March, 2005.
Chang-Ching, Cao. “The quest for an eighth Turkic nation.” Taipei Times, Tuesday, Oct 12, 1999, Page 9. Taipei Times Online
Archives: http://taipeitimes.com/News/archives/1999/10/12/0000006151
Chinese Foreign Policy, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China. http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmgx/zgwjzc/
Chung, Chien-peng. China’s War on Terror: September 11 and Uighur Separatism, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2002. http://
www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/58030/chien-peng-chung/chinas-war-on-terror-september-11-and-uighur-separatism
Constitution of the People’s Republic of China. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/constitution/constitution.html
Engdahl, F. William. The hidden agenda behind Xinjiang Violence. China Daily, Juy 16, 2009. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/
2009-07/16/content_8434351.htm
Full-text of Anti-secession Law. People Daily. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/14/eng20050314_176746.html
Human Rights Watch, Devastating Blows, Religious Repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang.
Millward, James. “Violent Separatism in Xinjiang: A Critical Assessment,” Policy Paper 6, Washington, D.C.: East West Center
Washington, 2004.
Information Office of the State Council Of the People’s Republic of China, White Paper: History and Development of Xinjiang, May
2003, Beijing, http://www.china.org.cn/e-white/20030526/
International Justice Desk, "China needs new policies towards ethnic minorities after Xinjiang". 30 July 2009. www.rnw.nl/
international-justice/article/china-needs-new-policies-towards-ethnic-minorities-after-xinjiang
Larson, Christina. How China wins and loses Xinjiang. Foreign Policy. July 9, 2009. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/
2009/07/09/how_china_wins_and_loses_xinjiang?page=0,2
Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Homepage. http://www.sectsco.org/EN/brief.asp.
Xin Hua News Agency, Foreign envoys in China visit Xinjiang after July 5 riot. August 10, 2009. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/
2009-08/10/content_11859552.htm
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Bureau of Statistics, Xinjiang Tongji Nianjian, 2001, Xinjiang statistical yearbook, 2001.
Beijing: China Statistics Press, 2001.

45. THANK YOU
Q&A