Future Responses to Managing Muslim Ethnic Minorities in China: Lessons Learned from Global Approaches to Improving Inter-Ethnic Relations

Abstract

Current policies to manage ethnic minority unrest in Xinjiang are not working. They do not directly address the core root causes behind Uyghur tensions in the region. Drawing upon lessons learned from global approaches to improve inter-ethnic relations, and factoring China’s institutional behaviour and norms, this article looks at policy responses that can be entertained by the state to improve the conditions of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. It suggests that in the short-term (under a year) the state can be more responsible in using the big data it collects for targeted surveillance, in tandem with a community engagement approach. In the medium-term (1-3 years), the state can employ practices to reduce ethnic-based prejudice by encouraging increased meaningful Uyghur and Han Chinese intergroup contact, and foster an environment that promotes a positive mass media portrayal of Muslim ethnic minorities. In the long-term (3 years plus), the state has an obligation to improve the relative socio-economic inequalities that Uyghurs experience as a cohort. These policy responses, in sum, can break the cyclical pattern of ethnic-based tensions that has characterized Xinjiang in the 21st century.