Policy Research On Counterpart Assistance To Ethnic Regions With Chinese Characteristics

Partner assistance programs in Tibet,Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regionare common types of partner-assistance policies.From the very beginning of the National Defense Working Conference in 1979 which kicked off China's effort to pair up with its ethnic minority areas on a nation-wide level,such endeavor has been advanced for over 40 years till now.Partner assistance programs started in Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 1994 and 1996 respectively are two most typical and iconic types.Reviewing the pairing assistance policies and practices on the whole in ethnic minority areas,it is easy to find that they are effective in boosting social-economic development,narrowing growth gap and promoting communication and integration in and among ethnic groups;they are indispensable parts of China's ethnic theories,ethnic policies,ethnic rules and ethnic works.As the gravity of pairing-up supports for ethnic minority areas increases,such efforts have been questioned and criticized in academia and society.Thus,necessary analysis and clarifications are needed based on doctrinal study to the theoretical foundation,basic connotations and performances behind pairing assistance policies making and implementing.Comprehensive,scientific and systematic understanding of pairing assistance policies is not only a theoretic matter but a matter of practice,as well as an important issue in China's ethnic theories and pragmatic ethnic works.With epistemology and methodology of dialectical materialism being theoretical tools,based on reviews of related research literature and pairing assistance policies in ethnic minority areas since the implementation of the opening-up and reform policy,through the perspective of Marxist ethnic theory and policy discipline,drawing on theoretical knowledge of politics,economics,jurisprudence,management and history and under the framework of “theory—policy—practice” analysis,this paper first studied and reviewed the theoretical supports behind pairing assistance policies in ethnic minority areas from the very beginning of related policies such as coordinated regional development strategy,central-local government relation,ethnic equality,ethnic unity,common unity among all ethnic groups for common prosperity,ways to solve the ethnic problem with Chinese characteristics and strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.Then,this paper conducted a comprehensive analysis of pairing assistance policies and performances in China's ethnic minority areas through studying typical pairing-up supports in Tibet and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.Finally,this paper came up with thoughts and suggestions on how to be committed to,improve and innovate China's pairing assistance policies for ethnic minority areas.This paper on the whole works to solve questions arising from three aspects: to answer,from theoretical level,what are those theories behind pairing assistance policy decisions and performances;to answer,from policy level,the inherent relations between such policies' basic connotations,backgrounds,reasons,features on the one hand and ethnic laws and regulations establishment and ethnic relationships development on the other hand;to answer,from practice level,the developmental process,best practice and challenges displayed and encountered by these pairing-up policies as well as how to advance improvement and innovation in partner assistance programs.This paper consists of seven chapters.Chapter One is an introduction to the significance,values,overseas and domestic research status of this topic as well as research scopes,key and difficult points and potential innovations.Chapter Two is elucidation of related theories,including definitions,types,basic natures and theoretical supporting of pairing assistance.Chapter Three analyzes connotations of such policies,including policy contents,use of policy tools,values,backgrounds,reasons and characteristics.Chapter Four discusses the inherent relations among pairing assistance policies,ethnic laws and regulations and relationships among ethnic groups.Chapter Five and Six reviews pairing assistance practices,analyzes such policies' development,experiences and challenges from the light of ethnic work practices and proposes suggestions and thoughts on how to insist to,improve and innovate pairing assistance policies.Chapter Seven is conclusion,offering a preliminary result of this paper,presenting understandings on the “Chinese Feature” of pairing assistance policies in ethnic minority policies and pointing out inadequacies in this paper and potential directions for further study.This paper argues that given all Chinese ethnic groups are living in one great family,pairing assistance policies for ethnic groups are mechanisms for helping one another and for mutual benefits with the awareness of brotherhood and state responsibility.Standing together with mutual assistance amid difficulties and sharing a common destiny are “family rules”;Providing special aids for economic development,showing respect for cultures and offering extra care for livelihood to ethnic groups are domestic upbringing principles.Partner assistance for ethnic groups displays China's advantage of coordinated national response and national strength to carry out major undertakings under socialist system.It also embodies that Chinese ethnic groups are in the spirit of helping each other,unity and coordination,bearing the traditional idea that “all men are brothers” in mind.Partner assistance policies are also important parts of China's macro ethnic policies developing amid its unique political culture and unified multiethnic national conditions.Such policies also act as policy tools,extensively used in other economic strategies and measures such as the Great Western Development Project,the Program to Revitalize Border Areas and Enrich Residents' Lives and aids for ethnic groups with less population.Partner assistance programs,together with ethnic policy systems of the Party and the country,have formed a special policy network with same subjects,similar objectives and interdependent effects.Such network is an integral part of right ways to solve ethnic issues in China with Chinese characteristics,presenting stark feature of the theories,institutions,pathways and practices.This paper argues that the pursuant,improvement and innovation for pairing assistance policies should be committed to dichotomy and properly settle the relationships in ten aspects: “blood transfusion” and “blood making”,hardware and software,matter and mind,supply and demand,ethnic and regional factor,government dominance and market participation,“turn-key” and “ issue-cheque”,“material-oriented” and “people-oriented”,economic return and social benefit,pairing-up assistance and mutually beneficial cooperation.