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10/15/1948 - Provinces of Kansu, Sinkiang Chinghai Ninghsia by A. Doak Barnett

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS ADB Shanghai Caina October Mr Wal S ogers Institute Curren World Affairs Fifth Aenue New York N Y Dear Rogers One anking group faced correspondents political observers discussing Chinese mililary speculating grily There conversation One group I relrned ravel roughou orhwes Cina 1rned asked Wha devil going Northwest question particular relation general discussion simply based curiosity He asking Pagu Page Wa devil going NorZnwes I significan Im question asked 8king I reveals Nores China seems unreal Cina would Hew York Chicago San Francisco Noraw China defined poliical Chinese C enral Government large pruinces Sinkang Kansu Chinghai Nnghsia which under authority General Chang Chi Norhwes Headquarters Lanehow Kansu Geographic allyiisaasborderlandwhichhasfrontiersoucingTibe India Afghanis1m Sovie Outer Mongolia erritory provinces sparsely populated population region approximately million smewha percen estimated China Deserts munains seppes plains cover region while agriculure confine small areas valleys Yellow River ribuaries Hing Kansu Chinghai narrow Kansu corridor srecing westward Sinkiang scaered oases river valleys Sinang The eastern borders region almos housand miles Nanking western borders usand capial At present Norhwes provinces outside zones China divorced Civi War situation large degree Repercussions iliry sggle CLina Nortnwes indirectly The Northwes distinct region unique cracerisics differentiatingi country These salien characteristics I Reoen Throughouereion srong sense isolation geographical psycholo6ical The Berlin crisis Tsinan North China minous inhahius provinces because events reaches Some foreign influences Sovle Union close neighbor appears merely sadowy prime mover overin background local conflic situations Life mountains oases valleys seppes plains desers Primii Ther single railway provinces Airline roues provincial Capitals these places service infrequen undependable The odern ranspor developeg considerabl deree oorized trucking along crushed highways Eeen rucks serve percentage population however ravel makes camels horses ulesadonkeys Lack odern Dee There reall large scale industrial whole region Each provincial capial possesses scale modern modern acories facor oeher would barely ndusrial U So manufacrin OWno Wih excep facores oernmen owned privae capial indur virually exiseno Even urbanization indusr paern Lanchow population large whole reion which modern urban characer CSo single whole region runnin plumb sewa6e syseo The provinc elecr places usually procedes sunse schedule There uniwersiy Lancho insuions educai0n social welare culural There considerable amoun follows ancien caravan roues odern influences nfilrated Aese roubles In theoresis backward reion place where marks evoluAon China Ehnc iwersy Econ The populaEion Norhwes racial oulral hodepode 3inkian6 alone example Provincial Governmen racial roUpSo The Chinese Han province coprise abouve percen population while maoriy Uirs oeher azakhs sller roups almos uslims Cnese language culure Across N Chinhai Chinese speaking slims Chinese Te western southern Chinha almost enirel ibeans while western inhsia domain roups The Han Chinese concentrated areas Kansu corridor eastern riwer valleys Ninns Chinhai aeconras China where oases nkiano ariculre preva Is economy ofeorhes culural pastoral eleens andeecono divisions follow lines Ae The Man Cinese groups Uigurs Cinese uslis usually agriculral The longols Kazakhs Tibetans minor groups The orhwes border position geographical resoeness isolation economic echnological backwardness ehnic heterogeneity prowide background framework presen political situation region political military siaion understood The srking characteristics presen situation sumarzed P Reionalism A degree localism autonomy hrougu region Kansu roince which cenrally located larges concentration population sraegically important firmly Under vincial regime appointed Central Government provinces Ninghsia Chinghai adjacen Kansu under autonomous auhoriaria governments These regimes controlled Chinese uslims group politically dominan which occupy hough numerically ainoriy GeneralaHng inNingsiaandGeneralau fangin Cinghai local control cases inherited family predecessors close absolute Police mehods control places Alhough Narlord somelmes applied accurate respects places which conrel charac erized degreeo efficiency which usually associated warlordism An rovinces furthermore reconstruction developen policies being carried independently Chinghai particularly conaiderab success relations between local leaders Cnral Gv rnmen described accurately political alliance ascomplee political inegraion This political alliancea presen based opposition Communists Ctngai Ninghsia depend C Government military supplies Other loyalty Generalissim Chiang tradition Chinese exist alone might prevent political separation under present Condi iormin China where centrifugal forces disintegration strong In Sinking provincial adminis ralion appin loyal I Central Government large Chinese garrison force controls province strong traditional localism persists points throughout territory province growing ighur national makes situation unslble uneasy political separatism resulted establishment completely aulnomous regime northwestern sections province Ili adjacen erriory An_ Comnis_Defense Le Despie existence localism orawes region penetration au1noa infiltration Chinese Communiss occupy erriory southern Suiyuan Shensi Geegraphi contiguous orhes isolation parially explains region sidelines ineCivil War natural defense asses supplemented military defense along eastern border Ningsia Ching The religious basis C mmunism uslims along seems iporan reason effect iveness Sme Central Governmen roops saioned defense positions region sreng provided uslim whoseroops arenominallyparofheNai0nal Armybactuallyare local forces autonomy bitterly Cmmunis ThemosimporanmilitaryforcesareaPu cavalry which comprise military units China helasanalysis providehemain defense forewhole _Ehnic Prob Perhaps basic inernal problems Norhwes involve relations belween arious groups Tn problems arising group friction often economic political socisl Considerable Zrlcion between rulers ruled often involved The Han Chinese noably successful ruling minorities Chinese uslims regions under political control As resul ehnic minorities dissatisfied presen position Excep Sinkiang however ennic problems constitute critical political problems presen The Tibems Chinghai example politically inarticulate closely controlled policies which combine onciliation oward cooperative repression unruly The Ninghsia another major group rebellious ongels China presen perhaps because given degree autonomy In Sinkiang however eeanic problems critical Growing nationalism cularly among Uigrs creaed demands political greaer amoun This nationalism lgeer moral suppor material amounts which Been accurately deersned S primary factors behind Ill Revol which resulted establishment Uighur Ill Group Soviet oriented regime Sinkiang which entirely Sinkiang whole The Chinese administration Sinkiang atemping recoup iaprove China siion iling reforms following nciliaory policies oward naionalis groups feels compelled maintain large garrison force province guarantee control Inernalon Probl_e The boundaries separating Norhwes China neighbors cases poorly defined subjec conflicting claims Because geographical position furthermore region receives influences across arious borders paricmlarly Sovie order which vially local situation This especially Sinkiang I seems highly probable nationalisminSinkiangwouldno beheseriousproblemwhichinow Chinese Sovie Union close neighbor oonly nalionalis received moral suppor material suppor Sovie Onion ipeus growth movemen Anfluencgs emmalng A Sovie border The serious border dispu Norhwes along border Sinkiang Sovie saeili Outer onolia iasan For osile ruces ernaed small scale warfar between patrols continues alough neither appears anxious press issue logical conclusion allow develop major conflict Locally however Chinese ongol roops anxious control possible Peiashan range which probably iporan single iporaee along Sinkian Ouer ongolia border The Norwes China provinces Sinkiang Kansu Cinhai Ninhsla heore raher unique reion special characteristics Alou connected outside world airlines orous roues Tibe India Chinese provinces Suiuan Shensi Szechwan reion isolated large respectsbalsoasisownprobleso Amilitarydefenseline separates Chinese Civil intercourse Sovie Outer onolia local couner called Iron Curaino In local region hemselves recog political fuare provinces undoubtedly deermine outcome Chinese Civil War national inaional developaens being Norhwes China somewha iselfo Sincerely yours A Doak eceved York Ze