The Communist Party of China

Wang Jue, Zhao Xinyu

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2021.07.003

Abstract：

From the founding of the Communist Party of China（CPC） to the opening of the 19th National Congress of the CPC， the CPC's history of studying ethnic issues over the past hundred years is actually a history of exploration and innovation of ethnic theories. Several generations of Party leaders have emphasized the importance of  analyzing and understanding China's basic national conditions in the study of ethnic issues. By combining Marxist ethnic theory with China's real-life situation， they put forward a basic theory of regional ethnic autonomy following China's national conditions，find a correct way of solving ethnic problems， in accordance with the concrete conditions on the ground in China， and make constant progress in reform and opening up.

The“Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs” was developed following the actual progress and changes in ethnic relations and is a new model with Chinese characteristics to solve ethnic issues. At every important historical turning point， the CPC gained valuable new ethnic theoretical insight. This achievement has provided intellectual guidance for ethnic work， setting ethnic policy， promoting the further development of the ethnic theories， forming a scientific yet practical ethnic paradigm with Chinese characteristics， and implementing a pathway with Chinese characteristics aimed at solving the ethnic problems in China.

Attaching importance to national circumstances is one of the fine traditions of the CPC. Since its founding， the CPC has attached importance to China's basic national conditions， and the reason why the Chinese revolution could stay on course is also due to the CPC's choices made after in-depth analyses of national conditions. Based on an analysis of China's basic national circumstances， Chairman Mao Zedong spoke of “the relationship between the Han and ethnic minorities” in 1956; In 1987， Comrade Deng Xiaoping's emphasis on upholding the system of regional ethnic autonomy was also founded on China's essential national conditions. In the same way， based on China's condition， the General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee， Xi Jinping， points out the undeniable need for problem-solving measures that follow both the unique Chinese characteristics as well as regional ethnic autonomy. Xi also stresses the significance of a better ethnic work in realizing the vision of the Chinese Dream.

The history of ethnic work carried out under the leadership of the CPC over the past 100 years is part of the Party's history. The CPC's history in the study of ethnic issues over the past 100 years shows that the CPC， based on China's national conditions， has conducted long-term and consistent research on ethnic issues. The CPC has been courageous in theoretical exploration and innovation in different historical periods and has paid great attention to combining practical and theoretical innovation. Just as General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out： “The key to our Party's success in overcoming trials and tribulations lies in practical and theoretical innovation.”

Key Words：

the CPC; ethnic theories; ethnic issues; the Central Conference on Ethnic Affairs