Xinjiang in 2013: Problems and prospects

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Author(s)
Mackerras, Colin
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2014
Metadata
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Several major disturbances in Xinjiang in China's northwest in 2013 have further exacerbated the already tense ethnic relations between the Han Chinese and the main minority in Xinjiang, the Uighurs, who are Turkic and Muslim. The Chinese state blames terrorism but most Western journalists remain sceptical. This article argues that terrorism is indeed a real threat, but the Chinese state tends to overreact to disturbances, exacerbating the problems. China's response has included befriending countries further west, including Turkey. The outlook is not good for ethnic harmony, but the region is likely to develop economically ...
View more >Several major disturbances in Xinjiang in China's northwest in 2013 have further exacerbated the already tense ethnic relations between the Han Chinese and the main minority in Xinjiang, the Uighurs, who are Turkic and Muslim. The Chinese state blames terrorism but most Western journalists remain sceptical. This article argues that terrorism is indeed a real threat, but the Chinese state tends to overreact to disturbances, exacerbating the problems. China's response has included befriending countries further west, including Turkey. The outlook is not good for ethnic harmony, but the region is likely to develop economically and the prospects for independence or quasi-independence from China are very poor.
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View more >Several major disturbances in Xinjiang in China's northwest in 2013 have further exacerbated the already tense ethnic relations between the Han Chinese and the main minority in Xinjiang, the Uighurs, who are Turkic and Muslim. The Chinese state blames terrorism but most Western journalists remain sceptical. This article argues that terrorism is indeed a real threat, but the Chinese state tends to overreact to disturbances, exacerbating the problems. China's response has included befriending countries further west, including Turkey. The outlook is not good for ethnic harmony, but the region is likely to develop economically and the prospects for independence or quasi-independence from China are very poor.
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Journal Title
Asian Ethnicity
Volume
15
Issue
2
Copyright Statement
© 2014 Taylor & Francis. This is the author-manuscript version of the paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.Please refer to the journal link for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Sociology not elsewhere classified
Political Science
Sociology