Demographic situation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the 2000s

The subject of this article is the analysis of the demographic situation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China in the 2000s. The demographic situation in the largest autonomous region of the People's Republic of China is considered in a historical context. Xinjiang, inhabited by Turkic-speaking peoples, the largest of which are the Uighurs, has traditionally been a troubled region and has caused concern to the Chinese authorities. To stabilize the situation, the central Government of the People's Republic of China is launching economic programs aimed at developing the autonomous region and improving the standard of living of the local population. The demographic policy of the People's Republic of China, aimed at regulating the birth rate, but providing benefits for representatives of national minorities, is proving to be quite effective. In the first quarter of the XXI century, the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen an increase in population and a certain improvement in the quality of life, including income levels, the development of education and healthcare. This study is based on historical analysis of public sources of the central government, government statistical reports, and Chinese academic articles. The methodological basis of the research is the work of foreign historians and sociologists who characterize the specific features of China's demographic policy. In general, this study was carried out in accordance with the methods of historical periodization, retrospective and socio-psychological methods.   The scientific novelty of the study lies in the analysis of insufficiently studied aspects of the demographic development of Xinjiang at the present stage in the national historical science. Previously, stories related to the development of the XUAR in the context of the economic development of the People's Republic of China as a whole were popular among scientific circles. At the same time, little attention was paid to the intraregional specifics of Xinjiang itself, especially in connection with the local ethnic and religious situation. This paper examines the factors determining the importance of the region for the Chinese government, analyzes official measures aimed at regulating the demographic situation and the response from representatives of national minorities. The article focuses on the conflict-prone nature of the region, in which, despite ongoing socio-economic reforms, the threat of terrorism and religious extremism persists.

China, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang, national policy, demographic development, Han Chinese, Uighurs, national minorities, Central Government, migration policy