The strategic importance of China’s border regions can be understood from two perspectives. On the one hand, we need to place the issue within its historical context. Our ancestors have bestowed upon us an exceptional gift: a vast and unified multiethnic country, and a diverse and integrated Chinese nation with a large population.
This historical legacy, straddling both the material and the immaterial, is a powerful engine propelling China forward. A key area where this legacy is evident is the country’s border regions. These are the regions where multiple ethnic groups integrated into the country’s national fabric. This underscores the strategic importance of China’s border regions from a historical perspective.
On the other hand, these regions continue to play a strategic role in the present day. They remain the frontline of China’s national defense. Despite the ongoing evolution of modern warfare, these regions have long stood as the first line of defense in safeguarding national security. They have been a major frontier of China’s reform and opening up. They also play an important role in China’s drive for sustainable development.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping once said, “No border area shall be left behind in the course of advancing Chinese modernization.” If the border regions were to remain underdeveloped or economically stagnant for a long time, how could China possibly have achieved all-round development? With vast territories and resources, these regions are essential to China’s overall sustainable development.
Evolving strategies
China must put top priority on creating a set of mid- to long-term strategies for governing the border regions.
The basic tasks of China’s border governance are to maintain the security of its borders and effectively manage its border regions. In contemporary China, these regions can be classified by their geographical locations as follows: the northeastern border (Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning provinces), the northern border (Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), the northwestern border (Gansu Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region), Xizang Autonomous Region, the southwestern border (Yunnan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) and maritime borders (China has no international borders on the Bohai Sea, which is part of its territorial waters, but has long borders on the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea).
While sharing many commonalities under a unified multiethnic country and a diverse and integrated nation, each of these regions has its own unique history and social reality.
China’s border governance encompasses a wide range of fields, including the administrative system, the establishment and operation of specialized institutions at central and local levels, national defense, relations with neighboring countries, ethnic and cultural policies, the management of religious affairs and economic development strategies.
When formulating border governance strategies, it is essential to think broadly and think ahead, and to focus on the present rather than sticking to the past. Cultivating mid- to long-term strategic thinking means that China needs to come up with both immediate measures that align with the contemporary realities of these border regions and comprehensive plans for the next 10 years and beyond.
Another emphasis should be placed on learning from history. A key area within the study of the history of China’s border governance is the evolution of border policies across different historical periods.
The following is a summary of the existing scholarly consensus on China’s border policies, with a focus on the limitations and lessons learned from strategies adopted by ancient dynasties: The Great Unity, a traditional Chinese political ideal that champions a unified China, has always been the central theme of the country’s border governance, with military deployment acting as security safeguards, economic development of the border regions laying a solid material foundation for their governance, the Chinese civilization, with its binding force, serving as a strong cultural bond, and sound strategies and tactics holding key to the success of border policies.
We should also acknowledge the many limitations of ancient Chinese border policies, such as the stereotypes that discriminated against ethnic minorities, and the traditional neglect of border governance and the rule of law. History is not only a study of the past but also a study of the present and the future.
New features
The overall strategy of border governance in contemporary China, guided by a series of important speeches and instructions given by President Xi since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, is crucial for understanding the new initiatives and features of border governance in the new era. Xi was elected general secretary of the CPC Central Committee at the First Plenary Session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, held shortly after the conclusion of the congress. Below are the four most important aspects of this overall strategy:
Sound governance of a country requires sound governance in its border regions. In March 2013, in a panel discussion with the delegation from Xizang at the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress, China’s top legislature, Xi said, “To govern the country well, we must first govern the frontiers well; and to govern the frontiers well, we must first ensure stability in Xizang.”
Border regions are an indispensable part of China. Therefore, the governance of these regions should be integrated into the general framework of the governance of China and placed on an equally important footing as other regions.
The notion that the sound governance of a country requires sound governance in its border regions is a perfect summary of the lessons learned from the past. It can lead to a marked improvement of China’s current border governance capacities. It is also the ultimate objective of China’s overall strategy for borderland governance.
Forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. To forge a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation means guiding people of all ethnic groups to embrace the vision of a community with a shared future and to stand united through all challenges and difficulties.
The formulation of this thought took years to complete. For a long time in history, there were misunderstandings in the studies of Chinese ethnic affairs and misinterpretations of the country’s ethnic policies. These problems must be corrected.
Since 2012, Xi has proposed forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, drawing on past ethnic theories and policies as well as a keen understanding of contemporary trends. In a sense, the concept is the fundamental guiding principle for handling ethnic affairs and building more harmonious ethnic relations.
Upholding the CPC’s overall leadership. Since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the CPC has exercised overall leadership over the country. The ability to mobilize all resources to accomplish key national undertakings has become a distinct feature and unique strength of China.
The CPC has always upheld safeguarding national unity and ethnic solidarity as the highest interests of all ethnic groups.
On December 9, 2024, the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, consisting of the Party’s highest-ranking officials, conducted its 18th group study session on the history of China’s borderland governance. While presiding over the session, Xi emphasized that modernizing the border governance system and governance capacities is an essential part of Chinese modernization. It is vital to truly understand the many key statements and initiatives on border governance, focus on advancing Chinese modernization and put into practice all of the CPC Central Committee’s decisions and arrangements on stabilizing and prospering the border regions.
Upholding the basic line of seeking truth from facts. Given the fact that each border region is unique, the governance of these regions, instead of adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, must be targeted to local conditions. Take the dynamics between development and stability as an example. Different regions have different priorities.
Development and stability are intricately linked as part of a broader, systematic effort to build a better society. When it comes to development, in particular, we should never reduce it to mere production or economic growth. Instead, the concept encompasses all facets of society, including the economy, culture and education, as well as individuals’ personal development, among many others. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
