ABSTRACT

As the most populous country in the world and with its rapidly growing economic, political, and military power, China exerts an increasing influence globally. However, in its foreign policy, some internal issues remain contentious both for China and the outside world. For example, China’s ethnic minority issue poses a substantial political predicament. For instance, the 2008 Tibetan unrest and the 2009 ethnic clashes in Xinjiang not only revealed the rising ethnic tensions, but also reflected a persistent problem facing the People’s Republic of China (PRC)—namely, maintaining national unity and internal cohesion.