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Rethinking B eijing's Geostrategic Sensibilities to T ibet and X injiang: Images and Interests
Author(s) -
Seo Jungmin,
Cho Young Chul
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
pacific focus
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.172
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1976-5118
pISSN - 1225-4657
DOI - 10.1111/pafo.12012
Subject(s) - legitimacy , modernization theory , terrorism , context (archaeology) , sovereignty , politics , paternalism , national security , sociology , political economy , political science , law , history , archaeology
The aim of this essay is to examine the ways in which B eijing perceives the issues of T ibet and X injiang differently in the context of its geostrategic thinking in international politics today. In doing so, this essay will provide a deeper understanding of B eijing's different geostrategic sensibilities of T ibet and X injiang in regard to rising C hina's national security interests in C entral and S outh A sia. This essay argues that, although B eijing publicly sees the T ibet and X injiang problems as issues of securing C hinese sovereignty, geostrategically B eijing alludes to a subtle difference in its perception of the two regions: (i) the T ibet problem is a practical, domestic issue to be handled by B eijing's paternalistic engagement of modernization, and is a symbolic issue regarding how to manage rising C hina's benign image abroad while harshly oppressing any separatist voices in T ibet; and (ii) in B eijing's geostrategic thinking, X injiang's security importance seems to be defined in terms of energy security for C hina's economic growth, which is integral to social stability and the C hinese C ommunist P arty's legitimacy, as well as the transnational I slamic terrorist movement interlinked with U yghur separatism in X injiang.