Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T21:39:52.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

From Academic Discourse to Political Decisions? The Case of the Xinjiang Ethnic Unity Education Textbook Reform

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2020

Taotao Zhao Open the ORCID record for Taotao Zhao [Opens in a new window]  and
Sow Keat Tok
Taotao Zhao*
Affiliation:
Shenzhen University.
Sow Keat Tok
Affiliation:
University of Melbourne. Email: [email protected].
*
Email: [email protected] (corresponding author).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Between 2009 and 2014, against the background of the Xinjiang ethnic unity education textbook reform (2009–2010), vigorous academic debate on China's ethnic policy reform took place. Two academic cliques – one championing reform and the other representing the status quo – gradually came to the fore in this debate and competed to influence policy. This research seeks to unpack the mechanisms in China's knowledge regime that allow one agent (such as a think tank or academic) to prevail over others. Agents have an impact on policymaking mainly through connections with the decision-making body. This research uses three variables (ideological connection, level and nature of the connection) to analyse the relative policy influence of different agents in the debate. This research is among the first to provide an in-depth analysis of the debate's policy impact at the local level. The reform clique prevailed in this case because of its ability to bond with and influence higher-level decision-making bodies. Beginning in 2014, the Chinese Communist Party officially adopted the reform clique's language because of its alignment with the Party's growing need to maintain security in ethnic minority areas. Furthermore, key reform clique players continue to have an impact on the national policy shift.

摘要

摘要

2009 年至 2014 年，在新疆民族团结教育教材改革（2009–2010）的背景下，中国学界展开了针对民族政策改革的争论。两个学术派别一个主张改革，一个维持现状，在这场辩论中逐渐崭露头角，争夺政策影响力。本研究旨在揭示中国知识体系中某一个体（如智库或学术机构）战胜其他个体的机制。个体主要通过与决策机构的联系对政策产生影响。本研究利用三个变量（思想意识关联、关联层次和关联性质）来分析该案例中不同主体对政策的影响。该文是首批研究民族政策改革之争在基层的政策影响的学术作品之一。在本案例中，改革派最终占据上风，因为它得以与高层决策机构建立联系并对其施加影响。2014 年后中国共产党正式采纳改革派话语，因为它符合共产党日益增长的维护少数民族地区稳定的需要。此外，该案例中的关键改革派成员至今对国家政策仍具影响。

Keywords

Ethnic unity education textbookknowledge regimeCentral Leading Small Group on Xinjiangethnic policy reform民族团结教育教材知识体系中央新疆领导小组民族政策改革
Type
Research Article
Information
The China Quarterly , Volume 245 , March 2021 , pp. 165 - 185
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © SOAS University of London, 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baranovitch, Nimrod. 2010. “Others no more: the changing representation of non-Han peoples in Chinese history textbooks, 1951–2003.” The Journal of Asian Studies 69(1), 85–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berger, Ron, Herstein, Ram, Silbiger, Avi and Barnes, Bradly. 2018. “Is guanxi universal in China? Some evidence of a paradoxical shift.” Journal of Business Research 86, 344–355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Branigan, Tania, and Ramesh, Randeep. 2008. “Gunfire on the streets of Lhasa as rallies turn violent.” The Guardian, 15 March.Google Scholar
Campbell, John, and Pedersen, Ove. 2010. “Knowledge regimes and comparative political economy.” In Béland, Daniel and Cox, Robert (eds.), Ideas and Politics in Social Science Research. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Campbell, John, and Pedersen, Ove. 2015. “Policy ideas, knowledge regimes and comparative political economy.” Socio-Economic Review 13(4), 679–701.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cao, Zhiheng, and Du, Xuewei. 2014. “Zhonghua minzu datuanjie jiaocai chuban de qianqian houhou” (The ins and outs of the publication of The Great Unity of the Chinese Nationality). Xinjiang Literature and History 1, 10–13.Google Scholar
CCP Party Literature Research Office. 2010. Xinjiang gongzuo wenxian xuanbian (Selected Xinjiang Work Literature). Beijing: Central Literature Publishing House.Google Scholar
Dikötter, Frank. 1994. The Discourse of Race in Modern China. London: Hurst.Google Scholar
Dreyer, June Teufel. 1976. China's Forty Millions: Minority Nationalities and National Integration in the People's Republic of China. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Elliot, Mark. 2015. “The case of the missing indigene: debate over a ‘second-generation’ ethnic policy.” The China Journal 73, 186–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ethnic Unity Education Textbook Compilation Group. 2009. Minzu lilun changshi (General Knowledge on Ethnic Theories). Beijing: General Radio & TV University Press.Google Scholar
Gunaratna, Rohan. 2009. “China's hardline approach won't work.” The Straits Times, 17 July.Google Scholar
Guthrie, Douglas. 1998. “The declining significance of guanxi in China's economic transition.” The China Quarterly 154, 254–282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hao, Shiyuan. 2011. Zhongguo gongchandang zenyang jiejue minzu wenti (How the CCP Manages its Ethnic Issues). Nanchang: Jiangxi People's Publishing House.Google Scholar
Hao, Shiyuan. 2012. “Fankong fanfenlie de zubie, diqu zhixiang jiduan cuowu” (Regional and ethnic biases in anti-terrorism and anti-secession are extremely wrong). Zhongguo minzu bao, 24 February.Google Scholar
Hayward, Jane. 2018. “The rise of China's new-type think tanks and the internationalization of the state.” Pacific Affairs 91(1), 27–47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hou, Shuying. 2012. Zhonghua minzu da tuanjie (The Great Unity of the Chinese Nationality). Urumqi: Xinjiang Education Publishing House.Google Scholar
Hu, An'gang, and Hu, Lianhe. 2011. “Di'erdai minzu zhengce: cujin minzu jiaorong yiti he fanrong yiti” (The second generation of ethnic policy: promoting national integration and prosperity in one blend). Journal of Xinjiang Normal University 32(5), 1–12.Google Scholar
Hughes, Christopher. 2000. Taiwan and Chinese Nationalism: National Identity and Status in International Society. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Jin, Binggao, and Xiao, Rui. 2012. “On maintaining socialism ethnic theory and policy with Chinese characteristics: analysis of second-generation ethnic policy.” Journal of Northwest University for Nationalities 4, 12–19.Google Scholar
Köllner, Patrick, Zhu, Xufeng and Abb, Pascal. 2018. “Understanding the development of think tanks in mainland China, Taiwan, and Japan.” Pacific Affairs 91(1), 5–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leibold, James. 2013. “Ethnic policy in China: is reform inevitable?” Policy Studies 68, 1–65.Google Scholar
Ma, Rong. 2007. “The subjects and approaches of current ethnic affairs study in China.” Journal of the Central University for Nationalities 34(3), 12–38.Google Scholar
Ma, Rong. 2014. “Reflection on ethnic debate in China.” Asian Ethnicity 15(2), 237–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Majone, Giandomenico. 1989. Evidence, Argument, and Persuasion in the Policy Process. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.Google Scholar
Miller, Alice. 2017. “The CCP central committee's leading small groups.” China Leadership Monitor 26, 1–21.Google Scholar
Ministry of Education. 2007. “Zhongguo minzu jiaoyu zazhi” (The Chinese ethnic education journal), moe.edu.cn/moe_879/moe_175/moe_364/moe_2489/moe_2525/tnull_40960.html. Accessed 19 June 2017.Google Scholar
Ministry of Education. 2009. “Zhongyang xuanchuanbu jiaoyubu guojia minwei lianhe fachu tongzhi bushu zaixuexiao kaizhan minzu tuanjie jiaoyu huodong” (The Publicity Department, Ministry of Education and SEAC jointly issued notice to promote ethnic unity activities at school), moe.edu.cn/s78/A12/moe_2154/tnull_51458.html. Accessed 10 October 2015.Google Scholar
Mitchell, Tom. 2015. “Zhou Yongkang jailed for life in Beijing's anti-graft crackdown.” Financial Times, 11 June.Google Scholar
Nachiappan, Karthik. 2013. “Think tanks and the knowledge–policy nexus in China.” Policy and Society 32, 255–265.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Bureau of Statistics. 2019. “Xinjiang gonggong anquan zhichu 2007–2016” (Xinjiang public security expenditure 2007–2016), data.stats.gov.cn/search.htm?s=%E6%96%B0%E7%96%86%20%E5%85%AC%E5%85%B1%E5%AE%89%E5%85%A8%E6%94%AF%E5%87%BA. Accessed 15 October 2019.Google Scholar
Osburg, John. 2013. Anxious Wealth: Money and Morality among China's New Rich. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perlez, Jane. 2019. “FBI bars some China scholars from visiting US over spying fears.” International New York Times, 16 April.Google Scholar
Qi, Jinyu. 2017. “A preliminary study of the Chinese ethnic identification and ethnic taxonomy system.” Journal of the Central University for Nationalities 4, 18–28.Google Scholar
Qin, Shutai. 2009. “Minzu tuanjie jiaoyu xinjiaocai yue qiyong” (New ethnic unity education textbook launched in September). Oriental Outlook, 27 July.Google Scholar
Sautman, Barry. 2010. “Scaling back minority rights? The debate about China's ethnic policies.” Stanford Journal of International Law 46, 51–112.Google Scholar
Sleeboom-Faulkner, Margaret. 2007. The Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS): Shaping the Reforms, Academia and China (1977–2003). Leiden: Brill.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stone, Diane. 2007. “Recycling bins, garbage cans or think tanks? Three myths regarding policy analysis institutes.” Public Administration 85(2), 259–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Su, Qingxue. 2010. “Zhonggong zhongyang guowuyuan zhaokai Xinjiang gongzuo zuotanhui” (Central CCP and the State Council jointly held the Xinjiang work forum). Tianshan wang, 20 May, ts.cn/homepage/content/2010-05/20/content_4988463.htm. Accessed 30 June 2017.Google Scholar
Sun, Yan. 2018. “Debating ethnic governance in China.” Journal of Contemporary China 27(114), 795–810.Google Scholar
Xuezi, Tianshan. 2009. “Xinjiang shekeyuan zhongya yanjiusuo yanjiuyuan Ma Pinyan” (Xinjiang Academy of Social Sciences Central Asia Institute researcher Ma Pinyan). Tribune of Social Sciences in Xinjiang 6, 97.Google Scholar
Xie, Shengjun. 2012. “‘Di'erdai minzu zhengce shuo’ yinqide xueshu zhenglun ji shehui yingxiang” (The academic controversy and social impact caused by the “second generation ethnic policy”). Minzu Tribune 12, 45–49.Google Scholar
Yao, Xiaochen. 2009. “Xinjiang minzu tuanjie jiaocai zhengshi chuban” (Xinjiang ethnic unity textbook published officially). Renmin.com, 25 July, politics.people.com.cn/GB/14562/9722233.html. Accessed 1 June 2018.Google Scholar
Zeng, Minghui. 2012. “Zhongyang Xinjiang gongzuo xietiao xiaozu lai Xinjiang diaoyan” (The CLSG on Xinjiang visits Xiangtan), news.xtol.cn/2012/0714/221428.shtml. Accessed 5 January 2019).Google Scholar
Zenz, Adrian. 2018. “China's domestic security spending: an analysis of available data.” China Brief 18(4), 4–11.Google Scholar
Zhao, Taotao, and Leibold, James. 2019. “Ethnic governance under Xi Jinping: the centrality of the United Front Work Department and its implications.” Journal of Contemporary China. doi: 10.1080/10670564.2019.1677359.Google Scholar
Zhou, Yu. 2017. “Kaiban yishishang, zhongbang xinjigou de lingdao xianshen le” (At the opening ceremony, leaders of the important new agency appeared). iFeng, 14 July, news.ifeng.com/a/20170714/51433053_0.shtml. Accessed 24 April 2018.Google Scholar
Zhu, Xufeng. 2009. “The influence of think tanks in the Chinese policy process: different ways and mechanisms.” Asian Survey 49(2), 333–357.Google Scholar
Zou, Chunxia. 2014. “Zhengzhiju changwei de xiaozu zhiwu” (Politburo standing committee members’ CLSG duties). CCTV.com, 23 June, news.cntv.cn/2014/06/23/ARTI1403474833213932.shtml. Accessed 11 October 2018.Google Scholar