THE NATURAL RESOURCE CURSE IN XINJIANG
THE NATURAL RESOURCE CURSE IN XINJIANG

Summary/Abstract: Natural resource abundance may have political or economic consequences. Some argue that natural resource abundance can have a negative effect on democratic transition and the consolidation of democracy. Such effect is conceptualized as „natural resource curse” in political aspect. But the mechanism through which natural resource stock leads to a less democratic regime with more authoritarian features is not yet fully clarified. In this paper I will use a case study about Xinjiang to test my theory. That is, distributional inequality between Han Chinese and the ethnic minorities over the resource revenue results in more resistance from the Uyghurs, thus the government responds with a stricter social control. This paper is aimed at offering both a theoretical creation and an explanation for the current instability in Xinjiang.

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