Ethnic Minorities in Chinas Western Development Plan

Abstract

Ethnic unrest within Chinas borders is commonly linked to problems of regional underdevelopment, yet ethnic minority issues have rarely been examined in the context of the PRCs regional economic development plans. What is the political logic of Chinas development in terms of minority policy? What resources are distributed, and where are they allocated? Here, I attempt to answer these questions in light of the Western Development Plan (WDP, xibudakaifa), Chinas largest regional development plan to date. I argue the WDP functions as a control mechanism of ethnic unrest by distributing resources selectively to key minority areas.