4 - Autonomy Regimes in China: Coping with Ethnic and Economic Diversity

Summary

The preamble of the constitution of the People's Republic of China proclaims it

a unitary multinational state created jointly by the people of all its nationalities … Socialist relations of equality, unity and mutual assistance have been established among the nationalities and will continue to be strengthened. In the struggle to safeguard the unity of nationalities, it is necessary to combat big nation chauvinism, mainly Han chauvinism, and to combat local national chauvinism. The state will do its utmost to promote prosperity of all the nationalities.

It also says that ‘Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China’ and that it is the ‘inviolable duty of all Chinese people, including compatriots in Taiwan, to accomplish the great task of reunifying the motherland’. The preamble acknowledges the leading role of the Communist Party and the guidance of Marxism–Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought.

These formulations provide a useful clue to understanding Chinese minority policies. China classifies its population into fifty-five ethnic or nationality groups, of which fifty-four are regarded as minorities. The fifty-fifth group is the Han, although they are less homogeneous than official policy recognises. ‘Han chauvinism’ refers to Han arrogance towards and contempt for minorities, rooted in Confucian perception of them as ‘barbarians’, and ‘local chauvinism’ refers to minorities’ assertions of self-determination. China is governed by the Communist Party under the Leninist doctrine of ‘democratic centralism’, which effectively gives the monopoly of power to a small group of party leaders.