Assimilation with Chinese Characteristics: The Uyghur Case

In the contemporary era, pluralism, multiculturalism and the coexistence of differences are widely recognised as core indicators of modern civilisation. In contrast, developments in the People’s Republic of China reveal a persistent orientation towards cultural and social homogenisation. Within China’s territorial boundaries, non-Han nationalities—whose distinct social, cultural, and political rights are formally guaranteed by constitutional and legal frameworks—have been subjected to an intensified process of Sinicization. In the case of the Uyghurs, this process has taken forms widely considered incompatible with modern humanitarian norms, including mass detention, coercive population control, forced linguistic and religious transformation, and the systematic separation of children from their families. The present study contends that in order to comprehend China’s apparent intolerance of diversity and its rejection of a legitimate space for difference, it is necessary to undertake a historical and civilizational analysis of the ideological foundations of Chineseness. Drawing on long-term sociological fieldwork and systematic observations, as well as an extensive review of the literature and detailed document analysis, the chapter examines Chinese-style assimilation through the attitudes, policies, and practices of the Chinese state toward non-Han nationalities. The study conceptualises this model as “transformation through impoverishment” and analyses its mechanisms and implementation through the Uyghur case.