Study On The Ideological Problem In The Countering Xinjiang Secession

Secessionism is a common but also special phenomenon of international politics, which would not be altered by national historical tradition, political system as well as level of ecocultural development. It would lead to serious harms to security and stability of related states and regions, while threat directly toward global peace and development at the same time. China is one of the states who have most serious secessionist problems in the world, and among all its domestic secessionist movements the Xinjiang secessionism has been the most damaging. With a more than one century history, Xinjiang secessionist movement has been an obstacle of regional economic development and social stability, and a very threat to China’s sovereignty and integration. Thus, countering Xinjiang secessionism is of the fundamental interests of all nationalites in Xinjiang and China’s top national interest.Xinjiang secessionism didn’t come from random, instead all the factors such as the geographic land-lock, cultural division, the declination of central authority, and the engagement of outer forces have severed as preconditions, and the keeping weakening national identity the fundamental reason. Analyzing the happening and development of the ideology of Xinjiang secessionism, we could see that the infiltration of outer social thoughts severed as the ideological basis and the guide for its social mobilization and political involvement, as well as what’s worse, a serious strike on the existing national identity. At the end of19th and early period of20th century, infiltration of the Pan-Turkism and the Pan-Islamism (the "two Pans") directly stimulated Xinjiang secessionism from happenning, with other social thoughts such as extrem-nationalism, extrem-Islamism, and terrorism playing equally important roles. Over the ensuring century, Xinjiang secessionism has formed a well-organized comprehensive ideological system, with Uyghur nationalism at core, extremism and terrorism as pillars, including cultural ideas with "East Turkistan" national idea, the Pan-Turkist national idea, the Pan-Islamist religious idea and idealism historical idea as basic characters. This ideological system has greatly impacted on Chinese national identity, thus been an important reason for the sustainable development of Xinjiang secessionism.For long, there have been two battle-zones and two styles of competetion within the couter Xinjiang secessionism battle. Countering secessionism in the ideological field is one criticlal part, however, has been lacking necessary attention. During the Republic China era, the Xinjiang secessionism ideology flooded and caused damaging political consequnces, that two East Turkistan Republics had been build in succession. After the founding of new China, the Xinjiang secessionism movement had been effectively restrained and its ideology sorted out. However, since the reform and open up, due to a fundamental change of inner and outer circumstances and influence by extrem-nationalism, Islamic extremism and terrorism, Xinjiang secessionist movement has enjoyed a rapid development, increasingly damaged China’s social stability and national security. At the same time, economic globalization and informationization have also given convenience to the spread of secessionism, made China’s counter secessionsit battle more complex than ever.The coming of secessionism is inevitable against a context where national identity is weakening, and once happening, it will further neglect and extinct existing national identity, making conditions for the further development of secessionism. Thus, countering secessionism in the ideological area should based on national identity, meaning central authority should not only enhance the restrain toward secessionist ideology, but also reinforce the construction of national identity by the maintream ideology. Cultural and political identities serve as two pillars of national identity and thus important entry points to (re)construct national identity. In the battle against Xinjiang secessionism, China should not merely repress the secessionist ideology, what’s more important is to reinforce its own national identity. This is the way which would effect a permenant cure.Unfortunately, China has been facing a serious identity crisis since morden times. The introducing of nationalism and Communism (Marxism-Leninism) had contributed to China’s national identity building, however, there are still some defects which could not be ignored. For example, the basis of cultural identity still yet be solidified.Under today’s new historical conditions, China should stregthen the cultural and political basises through reinforcing cultural and political identites, with China identity at the core. In the aspect of cultural identity, China should promote the building of Chinese culture with the respect to the exist and development of cultures of various inner ethnic groups, lead a Chinese national identity by Chinese national spirit and Socialist core value. In the aspect of political identity, China should encourage building civil society, building civic awareness, promoing the construction of civic state.