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CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2015-03 þÿChina s economic development plan in Xinjiang and how it affects ethnic instability Wong-Tworek, Susan W.K. Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/45276 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS CHINA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN XINJIANG AND HOW IT AFFECTS ETHNIC INSTABILITY by Susan W. K. Wong-Tworek March 2015 Thesis Advisor: Tristan J. Mabry Co-Advisor: Robert E. Looney Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704–0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED March 2015 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5. FUNDING NUMBERS CHINA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN XINJIANG AND HOW IT AFFECTS ETHNIC INSTABILITY 6. AUTHOR(S) Susan W.K. Wong-Tworek 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. IRB Protocol number ____N/A____. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) To decrease ethnic instability in Xinjiang, the Chinese government’s plan is to economically develop the region. Xinjiang is rich in natural resources, is geographically significant and has a special economic zone. China is also investing in Central Asia to further meet its energy demand. A network of pipelines and major rail systems connect sources from China to Central Asia and beyond. Xinjiang’s economy will benefit from the network because it is the gateway and corridor to Central Asia and a hub for the Silk Road traffic. This study suggests that Xinjiang’s economic development led to a few destabilizing elements, including Han migration, income disparity and employment discrimination. All of this is taking place while the government is also dealing with other cultural issues, such as religion and education. The author hypothesizes that China’s economic development plan in the Xinjiang Uyghur (or Uighur) Autonomous Region increases, decreases or is a subsidiary factor to ethnic instability. This paper argues that China’s economic development plan for Xinjiang affects ethnic stability in Xinjiang as a subsidiary factor. 14. SUBJECT TERMS 15. NUMBER OF China, Xinjiang, Central Asia, Uyghurs, Turkic, Hans, Silk Road, Western Development, economic, PAGES disparity, discrimination, special economic zone, infrastructure, natural resources, religion, Islam, 92 ethnic, conflict, violence, riot, instability, migration, peace, stability, education 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU NSN 7540–01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2–89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239–18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited CHINA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN XINJIANG AND HOW IT AFFECTS ETHNIC INSTABILITY Susan W. K. Wong-Tworek Captain, United States Air Force B.A., Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1998 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY STUDIES (FAR EAST, SOUTHEAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC) from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 2015 Author: Susan W. K. Wong-Tworek Approved by: Tristan J. Mabry Thesis Advisor Robert E. Looney Co-Advisor Mohammed M. Hafez Chair, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT To decrease ethnic instability in Xinjiang, the Chinese government’s plan is to economically develop the region. Xinjiang is rich in natural resources, is geographically significant and has a special economic zone. China is also investing in Central Asia to further meet its energy demand. A network of pipelines and major rail systems connect sources from China to Central Asia and beyond. Xinjiang’s economy will benefit from the network because it is the gateway and corridor to Central Asia and a hub for the Silk Road traffic. This study suggests that Xinjiang’s economic development led to a few destabilizing elements, including Han migration, income disparity and employment discrimination. All of this is taking place while the government is also dealing with other cultural issues, such as religion and education. The author hypothesizes that China’s economic development plan in the Xinjiang Uyghur (or Uighur) Autonomous Region increases, decreases or is a subsidiary factor to ethnic instability. This paper argues that China’s economic development plan for Xinjiang affects ethnic stability in Xinjiang as a subsidiary factor. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. BACKGROUND OF XINJIANG ...................................................................3 1. Demography .........................................................................................4 2. Geography ............................................................................................5 3. Resources ..............................................................................................6 4. History ...................................................................................................7 5. Religion ...............................................................................................11 6. Conflict ................................................................................................13 B. LITERATURE REVIEW .............................................................................15 II. CHINA’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN THE XUAR .....................23 A. RESOURCES .................................................................................................24 B. INVESTING FOR FUTURE GROWTH: SILK ROAD ............................26 C. SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE ....................................................................28 D. DEVELOPMENT BEYOND CHINA’S BORDERS ..................................30 1. Xinjiang: The Gateway and Land Bridge to Foreign Investment ..........................................................................................31 2. Central Asia Resources......................................................................32 3. Infrastructure .....................................................................................33 III. ECONOMIC GROWTH AND REGIONAL INSTABILITY ...............................37 A. HAN MIGRANTS ..........................................................................................37 B. INCOME DISPARITY ..................................................................................41 C. EMPLOYMENT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES ..............................44 D. OTHER DESTABILIZING FACTORS IN XINJIANG ............................46 1. Religion ...............................................................................................47 2. Education ............................................................................................48 IV. CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................51 APPENDIX .............................................................................................................................57 LIST OF REFERENCES ......................................................................................................66 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST .........................................................................................74 vii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of Xinjiang .................................................................................................4 Figure 2. Shenzhen Export Value (1980–2000) ..............................................................29 Figure 3. China’s Oil Production and Consumption (1993–2015) .................................31 Figure 4. Spatial Distributions of Different Ethnic Groups in Xinjiang, Western China ................................................................................................................41 Figure 5. Number of Violent Incidents