How does the Chinese Communist Party govern the country?

Chapter 17

Due to the influence of political, economic, historical, cultural and other factors, different regions and different countries and governments have different ways of thinking and ways of dealing with ethnic and religious issues.China, with 56 ethnic groups and multiple religions, implements policies of ethnic regional autonomy and freedom of religious belief.

Among the many ways to solve ethnic issues, why did China choose ethnic regional autonomy?Can this system effectively solve the ethnic problems in the country?Why does the Communist Party of China, which insists on atheism, allow "freedom" of religious belief?Is it sincere or expedient?
China is a unified multi-ethnic country. So far, 56 ethnic groups have been identified and confirmed by the central government.The populations of various ethnic groups in China vary greatly. Among them, the Han nationality has the largest population, while the other 55 ethnic groups have relatively small populations and are customarily called "ethnic minorities".According to the sixth national census in 2010, the population of the Han nationality was 12.26 billion, accounting for 91.51% of the total population of the country, and the population of the 55 ethnic minorities was 11379 million, accounting for 8.49%.

In a multi-ethnic country, it is extremely important to correctly handle ethnic issues.When the Communist Party of China was founded, it began to explore the solution of domestic ethnic issues.From the founding of New China, it experienced a thinking process from "national self-determination" to "ethnic regional autonomy".

After the victory of the October Revolution, Russia adopted a federal system and established the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the basis of the voluntary will of all nationalities.Under the influence of the Marxist theory of national self-determination and the Soviet Union, the Chinese Communists put forward the idea of ​​national self-determination in the early 20s. In July 20, the Declaration of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China stated: "The three parts of Mongolia, Tibet, Hui and Xinjiang will implement autonomy and become a democratic autonomous state", "use the free federal system to unify China, Mongolia, Tibet, and Hui and Xinjiang, and establish the Chinese Federation Republic".During this period, the Chinese Communists advocated the self-determination of domestic minorities, which was aimed at the national oppression of imperialism and the Kuomintang regime, and was based on the premise of weakening and overthrowing the rule of imperialism and Chiang Kai-shek’s Kuomintang regime.For example, the Declaration of the Second National Congress of the Communist Party of China emphasized that "equality and self-determination can only be realized after the overthrow of capitalist imperialism" while proposing national self-determination.

In September 1938, the Sixth Plenary Session of the Sixth Central Committee of the Communist Party of China changed the previous ethnic policy.It can be seen from Mao Zedong's report "On the New Stage" that at this time, "national self-determination" was no longer emphasized, but that ethnic minorities "have the right to manage their own affairs"; Establish an independent country, but "unite with the Han to establish a unified country."The political resolution passed at the Sixth Plenary Session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China did not mention "national self-determination", and the new country advocated was no longer the "Federal Republic of China" but the "Democratic Republic of China".

Since then, the Communist Party of China has become increasingly clear about the idea of ​​regional ethnic autonomy. On October 1947, 10, Mao Zedong drafted the "Manifesto of the Chinese People's Liberation Army", announcing eight basic policies, the seventh of which is "recognizing the equal rights of all ethnic minorities in China to self-government".

According to the above-mentioned guiding ideology, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China's first provincial-level ethnic autonomous area, was established in 1947; at the same time, district-level and county-level ethnic autonomous areas were also established in Shandong, Hebei, and Hainan Island.The establishment of these ethnic autonomous areas provided a successful example for the new China to implement the system of ethnic regional autonomy.

In 1949, in the process of preparing to build a new China, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China finally gave up the idea of ​​national self-determination and the establishment of the Federal Republic of China, and chose to unify the basic political system of local ethnic regional autonomy within the country.

Why abandon federalism and adopt ethnic regional autonomy? On September 1949, 9, Zhou Enlai explained it when he reported to the representative work of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.He said: "China is a multi-ethnic country...No matter how many people there are, all ethnic groups are equal....The main issue here is whether the ethnic policy is aimed at autonomy or whether it goes beyond the scope of autonomy. We advocate ethnic autonomy, but we must It is necessary to prevent imperialism from using ethnic issues to sow discord in China's unity....For this, the name of our country is called the People's Republic of China, not the Federation."

Another important factor in not adopting a federal system is that the national conditions of China and the Soviet Union are different.In this regard, Zhou Enlai and Li Weihan, head of the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, have expounded a lot.

They believe that the national conditions of China and the Soviet Union are different in at least the following aspects: First, before the October Revolution, Russia was an imperialist country, and the Russian nation was an oppressive nation; while China was a semi-colonial country, and all nationalities suffered from imperialism. Oppressed peoples who bully, forge close ties in revolutions against oppression.The second is that the ethnic minority population in Russia accounted for 50% of the total population, and they lived in concentrated clusters; the ethnic minority population in China only accounted for about 6% of the total population at that time, and they lived in staggered clusters.The third is that after the February Revolution, Russia has been disintegrated, and many ethnic groups have actually split into different countries; while China has been a unified multi-ethnic country since ancient times, and it has implemented a unitary state structure.

After comparing the different situations of China and the Soviet Union, Zhou Enlai concluded: "The development of history requires our national family to take another form different from that of the Soviet Union. Every country has its own historical development situation, We cannot copy others. It is entirely appropriate for us to adopt the method of national regional autonomy."

On September 1949, 9, the "Common Program" adopted by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, which has the function of a provisional constitution, clearly stipulates: "The areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated areas should implement ethnic regional autonomy. , and establish various ethnic self-government organs respectively.” So far, the Communist Party of China has officially defined regional ethnic autonomy as the basic policy to solve China’s ethnic issues.

In 1954, the first National People's Congress was held, and the system of regional ethnic autonomy was enshrined in the Constitution.Since then, all the revisions of China's constitution have stated that this system should be adhered to.

The Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy revised and promulgated in 2001 clearly stipulates that the system of regional ethnic autonomy "is a basic political system of the country."

Regional ethnic autonomy in China means that under the unified leadership of the state, areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities exercise regional autonomy, establish autonomous organs and exercise the right of self-government.The establishment of ethnic autonomous areas is determined according to the conditions of local ethnic relations, economic development, etc., and with reference to historical conditions. According to the population of ethnic minority areas and the size of the area, they are divided into three levels: autonomous regions, autonomous prefectures, and autonomous counties. Administrative status They are respectively equivalent to provinces, cities divided into districts, and counties.The names of ethnic autonomous areas, except for special circumstances, are composed in the order of place name, ethnic name, and administrative status. For example, in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, "Guangxi" is the name of the place, "Zhuang" is the name of the nation, and "autonomous region" is the administrative status.

According to the provisions of the Constitution and laws, after the founding of New China, regional ethnic autonomy began to be fully implemented in areas where ethnic minorities live in concentrated communities.Following the establishment of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in 1947, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was established in October 1955; the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was established in March 10; the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region was established in October 1958; and the Tibet Autonomous Region was established in September 3.By the end of 1958, a total of 10 ethnic autonomous areas had been established across the country, including 1965 autonomous regions, 9 autonomous prefectures, 2008 autonomous counties (banners), and more than 155 ethnic townships. The fifth national census in 5 showed that among the 30 ethnic minorities, 120 had established autonomous areas, and the minority population practicing regional autonomy accounted for 1100% of the total ethnic minority population, and the area of ​​ethnic autonomous areas accounted for 2000% of the country's land area. 55%.

(End of this chapter)