Urbanization and the construction of the embedded social structure of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang
General Secretary of the Supreme Leader pointed out at the Second Central Xinjiang Work Conference and the Fourth Central Ethnic Work Conference: "Promote the establishment of a social structure in which all ethnic groups are embedded" and "create social conditions for people of all ethnic groups to live, study, work and have fun together by expanding exchanges and exchanges". Recently, the Outline of the Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development adopted by the National People’s Congress proposes to optimize the layout and form of urbanization, in which the construction of the urban agglomeration on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain in Xinjiang is mentioned for the first time in the national five-year plan, which is an important innovation for the state to promote economic development and maintain social stability in Xinjiang.
Urbanization is conducive to promoting Xinjiang’s economic development and industrial upgrading, and guiding people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to form an embedded social structure in the process of mobility and employment transfer; It is conducive to breaking the interests and emotional barriers caused by the separation and non-integration of the living areas and social and economic lives of various ethnic groups; It is conducive to weakening the phenomenon that some ethnic groups have too strong religious belief atmosphere and solidified social structure due to closure and poverty.
In the process of promoting urbanization in the future, Xinjiang should take the construction of multi-ethnic embedded social environment as an important and even core goal of urbanization, not only focusing on the construction of the urban belt on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain, but also guiding the people of all ethnic groups to flow and optimize their allocation in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to form a multi-ethnic embedded social structure; Moreover, we should further open our minds, promote the deeper integration of Xinjiang’s population, resources and industry with the national market, and then guide more Xinjiang people to go out, realize urbanization outside the autonomous region and form an embedded social structure with the mainland people, and then promote the exchanges, exchanges and integration of all ethnic groups, fundamentally eradicate a series of negative factors affecting Xinjiang’s economic development and social stability, and achieve long-term stability in Xinjiang.
First, the problem of ethnic groups gathering and economic and social solidification
Xinjiang is the largest provincial regional and ethnic autonomous area in China, with a population of 23,225,400 living in 1.66 million square kilometers, belonging to 47 different ethnic groups. Among them, the ethnic groups with a population of more than 100,000 are: the Uighur population is 11,271,900, accounting for 48.53% of Xinjiang’s population; The population of Han nationality is 8,595,100, accounting for 37.01%; Kazakh population is 1,598,700, accounting for 6.88%; The Hui population is 1,058,500, accounting for 4.56%; The Kirgiz population is 202,400, accounting for 0.87%; There are 185,300 Mongolians, accounting for 0.8%. Although Xinjiang is a multi-ethnic mixed area from the perspective of Xinjiang, a series of ethnic-cultural-economic isolated islands have been formed at the meso and micro levels due to the influence of natural geographical factors, historical traditions and social environment.
(A) ethnic distribution exists in regional, industrial, urban and rural isolation and fragmentation.
The sixth census shows that the proportion of Uighurs in Kashgar and Hotan in southern Xinjiang is 90.64% and 96.22% respectively, while the agricultural population in the two places accounts for 80.23% and 85.70% respectively, and the agricultural population in some counties in Hotan accounts for more than 95%. Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture has more than 80% Kazak population, and more than 15% of Kazak population is distributed in Urumqi, Changji and Hami, which means that the Kazak population in these four areas accounts for more than 95% of its total population. More than 80% of Kazak people are engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry, and the urbanization rate is low. In terms of occupational distribution outside agriculture, some ethnic employees account for a low proportion in occupational fields related to market economic activities and modern social governance activities.
(2) Some ethnic groups have solidified their population, social structure and social problems.
The first is population solidification. Among the ethnic minorities with a population of over one million in China, the turnover rate of Uygur and Kazak is the lowest, especially the turnover rate of Uygur is only 7.66%, which is 9 percentage points lower than the national average, and most of the floating population only flows within the county and city boundaries, and very few people cross the neighboring areas, especially outside the autonomous region. The Uyghur population in Xinjiang accounts for 99.32% of the total Uyghur population in China, and the Uyghur population outside Xinjiang accounts for less than 1% of the total population. The Uighur population in Xinjiang is mainly concentrated in southern Xinjiang, accounting for 78.3% of the whole Xinjiang. Judging from the intermarriage rate, the data of the sixth national census in 2010 showed that the intermarriage rate of ethnic minorities in China was 21.47%, while that of Uighurs was only 0.53%. The social solidification caused by closure and non-mobility has triggered the problem of social poverty.
Second, the ethnic differences in the process of urbanization and related issues
Urbanization is an important driving force and inevitable choice of social modernization, and it is also an important way to promote the flow and optimal allocation of population and resources, and to promote the exchanges and integration of different regions and ethnic groups. In China, "the promotion of urbanization and the formation of a unified socialist market have accelerated the flow of population, and also enabled more people of all ethnic groups to break the past geographical divisions and have more opportunities to study, work and live together, which has provided a rare historical opportunity to promote exchanges and exchanges between all ethnic groups in China and enhance the commonality and consistency of the Chinese nation."
At present, there are 96 large and small cities in Xinjiang, and the urbanization rate is 46%, but the development is very uneven. The urbanization rate of Production and Construction Corps has reached 64%. The urbanization rate of household registration in Xinjiang is only 38.1%, among which Urumqi has the highest urbanization rate, reaching 80%~90%, while Hotan has only 12%. Of the 15 million people living in cities in Xinjiang, only more than 8 million have urban household registration. Although the level of urbanization in Xinjiang is lower than that in the whole country, from a vertical perspective, the urbanization process has not been slow since the founding of New China, especially since the reform and opening up. However, it is worth thinking about why the urbanization process in the past few decades has failed to change the marginalization of some groups.
Third, the transformation of urbanization ideas to promote the construction of multi-ethnic embedded social structure
In the process of modern economic development, urbanization is an inevitable choice. The construction of the economic belt on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain is included in the national "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan", which also means a very important development opportunity for Xinjiang. However, in the process of promoting urbanization in the future, we should not only focus on urban expansion and building construction, but also think more about how to organically combine industrial development, urban construction and the construction of multi-ethnic embedded social structure in a special region like Xinjiang. At the same time, we should also consider the limitations faced by Xinjiang as a whole and think about the urbanization and multi-ethnic embedded social structure construction in Xinjiang beyond the scope of Xinjiang.
(A) Xinjiang regional urbanization and multi-ethnic embedded social structure construction
1. Industrial choice in the process of urbanization
Urbanization oriented to the construction of multi-ethnic embedded social structure should make necessary adjustments and reforms in industrial selection, combine with the implementation of the national "One Belt, One Road" strategy, and rely on Xinjiang’s resources and location advantages to vigorously develop light industry and service industries facing northwest China, as well as Central Asia, West Asia and even Europe, especially industries that absorb a large amount of labor, require relatively low labor skills and have a relatively short benefit cycle. It is necessary to promote the construction of infrastructure such as roads and railways in southern Xinjiang, strengthen vocational education and adult education in southern Xinjiang, and at the same time guide more labor-intensive industries in the mainland, such as textiles, clothing, food processing, and daily-use products manufacturing, to move to southern Xinjiang. By changing the thinking of industrial choice, we can promote the development and transformation of cities and towns in Xinjiang and enhance the digestion ability of cities and towns for rural migrant labor.
2. The supply of public services in the process of urbanization
In the process of rapid population gathering in cities and towns, we should optimize the quality, quantity and structure of public services to promote the construction of multi-ethnic embedded social structure, guide people of different ethnic groups to live in harmony in the new environment of cities and towns, truly realize communication and integration in the process of common employment, common residence and common life, and form a common spiritual home and community consciousness of all ethnic groups based on urban life while respecting differences and tolerance. First of all, it is necessary to speed up the popularization of bilingual education in all parts of Xinjiang, and effectively link it with modern science and technology and cultural knowledge education, so that more and more ethnic minorities can fully master the language, knowledge and skills that can adapt to modern social life and market economy before entering the workforce. Secondly, from the early childhood, we should guide members of different ethnic groups to receive education together, appreciate each other’s cultures and cultivate the spirit of tolerance for different ethnic cultures. Thirdly, while improving the accuracy of inclined care for vulnerable groups in public services, the role of national identity factors is weakened, that is, in such aspects as poverty alleviation and development, extra points for education, inclined care for social security, and lowering the market entry threshold for vulnerable groups, it should be implemented according to technical and economic standards instead of national identity.
3. Guide multi-ethnic groups to embed themselves in all aspects of employment, residence and life in cities and towns.
The multi-ethnic embedded social structure will not be formed naturally because different ethnic groups live together in a town or a community. This kind of embedding is only the embedding at the appearance level. The real embedding is that all ethnic groups form a community of interests, life, culture and values. This embedded social structure needs joint efforts from many fields such as employment, residence, daily communication and public life. First of all, in the process of local urbanization in Xinjiang, we should open employment opportunities to all people in Xinjiang based on the requirements of multi-ethnic embedded social structure construction, and determine the qualifications of people to obtain public services by employment and residence. Secondly, public institutions such as party and government organs, social organizations, institutions, state-owned enterprises, etc. should have a mandatory multi-ethnic embedded employment structure that is suitable for the proportion of local ethnic groups, and at the same time guide private institutions to recruit more local minority workers in Xinjiang to form a multi-ethnic embedded employment structure. Thirdly, residential community planning and urban living facilities construction should fully consider the orientation of multi-ethnic embedded social structure construction. In particular, it is necessary to increase the investment in housing security for relatively poor minority citizens, and enforce the embedded residential structure in the process of affordable housing distribution. Commercial places and infrastructure that serve citizens’ lives should not only respect local customs, but also highlight the concept of sharing and sharing among all ethnic groups.
4. Reasonably guide people’s religious beliefs and promote the adaptation of religion to urban life.
First, respect the religious beliefs followed by local people for thousands of years and all kinds of customs related to them. The government should cooperate with religious groups to provide public service facilities with preferences to meet their needs, but at the same time, it should manage religious affairs according to law. Second, commercial service organizations associated with religious beliefs should be given preferential treatment in terms of land use, finance and taxation, and at the same time, their supervision should be strengthened according to law, so as to strictly prevent and crack down on unfair competition behaviors carried out by some market players through speculation on religious beliefs and national sentiments. Third, increase the prevention and crackdown on the infiltration of religious extreme thoughts. By introducing grid management, strengthening network information management and strengthening community management, the activity space of "three forces" is continuously compressed.
(B) Based on the transformation of counterpart aid ideas in Xinjiang, "export-oriented" urbanization
Although Xinjiang has a vast territory, the oasis actually suitable for human survival only accounts for about 8.6% of the land area. Because of the relatively harsh natural conditions, being far away from the densely populated consumer market, the public service supply is in arrears, the industrial base is weak and the ecological environment is fragile, the urbanization space completely based on Xinjiang is always limited. However, the situation of development and stability in Xinjiang is relatively grim, especially with the acceleration of agricultural modernization, the education level of people in poverty-stricken areas has improved, and the pressure of rural employment transfer will continue to increase. Faced with this situation, only focusing on the urbanization of Xinjiang can not quickly and effectively solve the practical difficulties faced by Xinjiang’s development and stability, but must consider and solve Xinjiang’s population, employment and multi-ethnic embedded social structure construction in the national environment. That is, by changing the idea of "counterpart aid to Xinjiang", we will change the capital, industry and public services into counterpart aid to Xinjiang, localize counterpart aid to Xinjiang provinces and cities, and "lead out" the surplus labor force in Xinjiang to study, find employment, live and live in Xinjiang provinces and cities, and form an embedded social structure with local people in Xinjiang provinces and cities.
1. Guide the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to work and live in aided provinces and cities in an organized scale.
While continuing to provide assistance to Xinjiang’s infrastructure and industrial development, the provinces and cities that aid Xinjiang each other will, under the unified and coordinated arrangement of the state, take out quota indicators to recruit Xinjiang’s minority workers every year, and form employment and housing formats with a certain group size and embedded in local urban communities in specific areas, so that public services and living services that serve their special needs and preferences can be followed up. Nineteen provinces and cities aiding Xinjiang can undertake a certain number of migrant workers in Xinjiang every year according to the economic and social development of their provinces and cities, and appropriately concentrate them in local labor-intensive industrial parks to carry out organized and large-scale employment assistance to Xinjiang. By arranging a worker for employment and promoting the integration of a Xinjiang minority family in the eastern cities, it will not only help Xinjiang solve the problems of employment, people’s livelihood and public services, but also better promote the construction of a multi-ethnic embedded social structure. At the same time, this appropriately concentrated and locally embedded employment aid to Xinjiang can also greatly reduce the cost of follow-up of public and commercial services such as religious institutions, halal catering and Muslim daily necessities supply.
2. Provide integrated public service projects for Xinjiang ethnic minorities who are employed in the Mainland.
Because Xinjiang is far away from the mainland, ethnic minority people in Xinjiang will face a series of difficulties and obstacles in studying, employment and integration in the mainland. Therefore, all provinces and cities aiding Xinjiang should provide comprehensive public service projects for ethnic minority workers in Xinjiang who are "pulled out" for employment in combination with local conditions and through cooperation with central authorities and governments at all levels in Xinjiang. Specifically, it includes: first, the service projects in the stage of employment preparation. Such as employment skills training, employment information services, the rule of law and life knowledge education for employment and life in the mainland, and subsidies for round-trip transportation expenses. Second, urban integration service projects. In cities where minority workers in Xinjiang are relatively concentrated, relatively special housing, education, public culture and social security measures should be taken to guide minority workers in Xinjiang and local residents to form an embedded employment, living and living structure, while eliminating the psychological, living and working obstacles that may occur because they are far away from home and enter a strange social environment. Third, public service projects that encourage Xinjiang minority workers to deeply integrate in the mainland. We will encourage Xinjiang workers to participate in public life in the mainland by means of material rewards and spiritual encouragement, and drive more Xinjiang minority people to study, work and live in the mainland.
3. Guide the service system related to the special needs and preferences of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang to follow up.
In the process of encouraging Xinjiang laborers to work and integrate in the mainland, the government should respect their special needs in material life and spiritual and cultural life related to special ethnic groups and religious beliefs, but it should not excessively intervene in the relevant service system to avoid strengthening the special ethnic concepts of some people or strengthening the awareness of some groups demanding special rights with religious beliefs. Faced with the special needs of ethnic minorities in these areas, they should be met mainly through religious institutions and corresponding market service subjects. The government can take limited support measures for the entry of relevant institutions without affecting local social life and fair competition environment in the local market. For example, provide appropriate places for mosque construction, give appropriate tax incentives for Muslim catering institutions to settle in, and provide appropriate convenience for public activities carried out by ethnic minorities related to their own customs or religious beliefs.
(The authors are professors and deans of the School of Management of Central University for Nationalities, members of the Expert Committee of "Xinjiang Think Tank" and "Kunlun Scholar" of Qinghai Normal University; Teachers of Central University for Nationalities. )
(This article is a major project of the Key Research Base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education (13 JJD 630015); Guangxi University for Nationalities Frontier Ethnic Areas Public Security Governance Research Center Project)
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