A Study of the Central-Local Relationship between the Central Government and the Ethnic Minority Autonomous Regions - How Should It be Reformed?

Description

The relationship between the central government and the five ethnic minority autonomous regions is one of the three kinds of existing central-local relationships in China. A special ethnic minority autonomous region system has been established to regulate this kind of central-local relationship. But the riots which happened in Tibet Autonomous Region in 2008 and in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in 2009 suggest that the ethnic minority autonomous region system has serious problems.This research project aims to find out why the existing model has failed to function properly by identifying the problems of the existing model. On that basis, the research project will conduct comparative study of various models on division of powers between the central government and local governments in other unitary constitutional system (including the SAR model) in order to make specific suggestions on how to reform the existing model governing the five ethnic minority autonomous regions. This research project will focus on the study of constitutional division of political power as well as the political autonomy of the ethnic minorities. In addition to the model for division of power, this research project will also examine the necessity to establish a dispute resolution mechanism to resolve possible disputes between the central government and the five ethnic minority autonomous regions as well as disputes between different ethnic groups in China.