Session 3 (August 3) - Dru Gladney, Pomona College

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Dru Gladney, Pomona College
Professor of Anthropology; Chair of Anthropology

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VIDEOS

China's Xinjiang Problem: The Uyghur and the Belt and Road Initiative

 

 

China and Central Asia: Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative

 

 

READINGS: Download the PDFs below. 

Attachments:

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[Tom Mueller]

Thank you so much for a great presentation and readings.  My goal this semester in my Introduction to Geography class is to discuss the Silk Road in the beginning of my course when we discuss Globalization and then “connect” it to the Belt and Road Initiative when we discuss East Asia. I had the basic knowledge but this information really helps me.  As Dru stated Xinjiang is one of the keys to the BRI.  First, the discussion on Xinjiang, I think would be a starting point.  I would start by discussing the changing focus of the Chinese government on this region.  I am going to also add the Radio Free Asia link to my class for students to read about the current situation. https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur. The use of the “fight on terrorism argument” by China to push these atrocities would also lead to a further examinations. I think this discussion can have my students start to think about the argument on US policies. As I have stated some of my students have a very biased impression of Islam.  It is one of the biggest misconceptions that I have to fight in my class Then we can focus on the BRI and Xinjiang importance and I would want to use the maps that Dru showed about the physical geographical characteristics of the area (elevation and precipitation) to discuss the issues with infrastructure, etc.  Also we need to examine the energy needs of China (and its current domestic energy sources).Then we can examine the countries that are part of the BRI – especially the stans (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan).  I appreciated the table that Dru showed comparing the countries.  We then could discuss as Dru stated the vacuum left by Soviet Union (Russia). The Belt and Road Initiative is able to bring the connections between China and Middle East, Africa, South America, etc.  In fact, I could highlight the Belt and Road Initiative in most of the regions we examine in the class. South Asia would definitely be one of the key regions in this discussion.  I already discuss the economic and political battles between China and India.  China seems to like the tension between India and Pakistan. Dru’s analysis of India being encircled or left out of the BRI was also very telling in this relationship.  I also want to use the China Pakistan Economic Corridor maps http://cpec.gov.pk/maps.  It would be great if I could create some interactive maps based on them.  After this session, I thought I could create an entire course called The Geography of the Belt and Road Initiative. (BRI).

 

[Ivonne Camacho]

Thank you so much for these presentations! They both are very interesting, I lived in Beijing for one year and I was never fully aware of their existance and their important history that dates back to hundred of years. As a language teacher, I believe is important to be aware of these social issues when teaching a language because we're not only teaching a tool to communicate, we are also teaching a culture that reflects it, and of course, the current social situation. 

I completely agree that as teachers, we need to find ways to build bridges and communications instead of building walls and prejudices that can just hurt inocent people. Part of our jobs is to be open and supportive to students as well as foreign students, to encourage them all to be respectful and aware of social conflicts globally. 

[Cristina Hernandez]

It was a surprise to learn that there are more minorities in China than what I thought.  Chinese Muslims are part of the minority group and it seems like they are fighting for their survival as a religious-ethnic group.  I really don’t understand the reason why the government is trying to segregate them to camps, but I believe that China is experiencing a great problem with ethnic and religious equality.  Also, I was wondering about the Chinese Jews that the professor mentions on his lecture.  What happened to them?  Where did they come from? How they ended up in China?  Cheers!

[Deborah Whetstone]

This Session's lectures and readings will be incredibly useful for all of my classes.  I frequently mention/explain the Uygher issue in western China to my students - from both a political and cultural perspective.  However, the information provided and explained will help me provide so much more context for my students.  My knowledge prior to this was at a rather superficial level. 

A few areas that caught particular attention:

~ the flip from the government re: birth restrictions - Uyghers allowed more based on culture and livelihood, while the majority limited to one, then 180 degrees different now.

~ I'm very curious about the switch in perspectives from the GOP - denouncing by Gingrich, now support to the extent of being banned (Rubio) . . . (I'll be watching the 2nd video in the morning, so if it's answered there, I'll edit my comment)

~ I greatly appreciated the issue being connected to current issues within the US.  Due to being part of the 'social media' generation, students are readily familiar with events over the last few months in particular, and this will go a long ways to helping them understand something happening half a world away, that many of their parents even have never heard of.

 

[Deborah Whetstone]

Agreed!  For me, it's one of those odd issues where I am aware of it, but it slips from my mind because of how frequently the people are just referred to as 'the Chinese'.  I will absolutely be utilizing some of the maps and graphics used in the video to help my students (and myself) learn and internalize that knowledge.  I stopped the video more than once to really 'study' some of the images.

Oh! I was also hoping for more information regarding the Chinese Jews; my assumption is their existence in China is a further example of the scope of diffusions along the Silk Road.  

[Ray Clark]

I found the reading very interesting, although a bit dated, since it seems that the Uighur/ Uyghur situation is very different in 2020, compared to the situation in 2014.  I knew that there were minority populations of Tajiks, Uzbeks, Mongolians, etc in China, but I did not know that the largest group was the Hui, and in fact, I thought the Uyghurs were the largest minority population. I am glad that in your lecture, you do mention  the changes that have been going on recently, regarding the Uyghurs and the re-education camps.  One thing that I didn't see addressed though, was if the interests of the neighboring Muslim countries have shifted (regarding the Uyghurs and other minorities) given the growing power of China, as well as increased international proof of enslavement and dispersal of entire Uyghur communities which you partially address in your lecture. I am looking forward to our "in-person" Zoom session.

[Jessica Ng]

Hi Cristina and Deborah. I was also very curious about the Kaifeng Jews that Professor Gladney mentioned in the first lecture, and shared Deborah's speculation that they ended up in China in part because of the Silk Road... and we were right! I found this fascinating article about a teenager from Hong Kong, with no Jewish ancestry or relation, becoming somewhat of a spokesperson for the community. It answers a lot of our questions (How'd they get there? What happened to them?), and even mentions some ways the group had been able to merge Jewish and Confucian morals and ideals, which helps them with integrating with the mainstream Chinese population.

https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3065231/can-jews-kaifeng-china-survive-xi-jinping-they

If I taught older students, I would share an article like this one. It's written in teen-friendly language, and its protagonist is someone in their same age bracket, who is using technology to help a disadvantaged community. It could be quite inspiring!

[Tom Mueller]

I completely agree. Obviously I heard on the news about the Muslims.  I did not realize the amounts and the diversity of minorities in China.  It reminded me of the concept of nation.  Nation is a cultural entity – a group of people with similar cultural traits – religion, language common history, etc. When I discuss this concept we compare nation with a state.  A state is a political entity – land, settled people, government, sovereignty, etc.  We also discuss that most researchers classify Japan as a nation – state (one nation within one state).  However we know there are other cultural groups within Japan (Koreans, etc.). How do we divide the groups?  How do we generalize?  The discussion of atrocities against the Muslims could also highlight how China is trying to make itself as a nation – state, etc.

 

[Tom Mueller]

I was also very interested about the Jewish population in China.  Thank you for the information on the history of Jews in China dating back over a thousand years ago.  I was also interested in the Jews fleeing to China to escape the Bolshevik Revolution and then the Nazis. I found this article - https://www.theatlantic.com/china/archive/2013/11/shanghais-forgotten-jewish-past/281713/ When we study country after country that shut their borders to the Jews, it was China that at least initially kept its doors open as a refuge.

 

[Tom Mueller]

Very good point – Deborah about the reversal of the GOP.  I wonder if this has to do with the current climate in our country.  It seems that GOP is going to make China the villain in this election. I remember back in the eighties the discussion that our economic relationship with China would assist them in becoming more democratic.  However that has not happened and then the trade imbalance, etc. has changed that perception.  China has become a bigger “boogie man” than Islam.  I am not saying that Senator Rubio is wrong.  It just makes me wonder.

 

[Rebecca Blankenship]

I have been following the stories of Uyighurs in the news, but really appreciate Dr. Gladney's historical background on East. Turkistan.  That clarified a lot of vaguery for me.  I was fascinated to find out the Zheng He was Muslim.  The characterization of Uighurs as scapegoats rather than terrorist to legitimate Chinese need to control Xianjiang as the life line of the BRI makes a lot of sense. Especially as the incidence Uiygur terrorism is pretty limited.  Fighting percieved Radical Islam is an interesting common ground for the US, Russia and China.  As each country has had its own legit fight of radical Islam it would seem this threat actually create a common enemy for the three nations.  In each country it has also led to varying degrees of scapegoating and policies that seek to control the Muslim population.  I was in Russia a few years back staying with friends and tried to follow the new at the time visa registration rule and was told repeatedly that that law did not apply to me as I was not Central Asian/Muslim.  I am curious to learn more about how technology is being used to control and supress the Uiyurs.

[Sandra Makielski]

Thank you, Professor Gladney, for this in depth look at minorities in China.  The lectures have provided much information on Muslims in China.  This is the first time I have had the opportunity to explore the Uyghur challenges in China.  Thank you.

Mapping the minority populations in China would work well in my geography class.

Professor Gladney pointed out parallels between the riots happening in the United States with the riots that have happened in China due to the corrupt practices by the police and the government.  Looking at how minorities are missed treated by systems in power in both countires would lead to greater understanding of how nation states may choose to respond to the "threat" of growing minorities.

Sterilization!  Again, parallels could easily be drawn by the United States and China through the practice of sterilization.

The mummified corpses would easily hook my students.....

[Alexis Marianiello]

These lectures and readings were quite full of information and potential connections to my classrom. 

 

As Tom said above, there is a great opportunity to draw a connection between the historical silk route and other important trade routes and the BRI. 

 

I find that my students (and myself if I'm being transparent) struggle to wrap their heads around much Asian history. I believe the non-familiarity of Chinese words and names (I did a little bit of reading on the ways that the English characters used to represent sounds from the different Chinese characters are not always prounounced as we would expect them to be) and a lack of desire to familiarize with them can contribute to a resistance to learning and remembering. Additionally, the unfamiliarity that many of us have with historical Chinese culture can contribute as well, I believe. 

 

After reading and hearing about the Uyghur Muslims in China and the BRI, I am wondering whether a non-chronological world history class would encourage students interest and investment in parts of the world that are usually overlooked by the curriculum, by teachers, and by students. Students may not be familiar with the teachings of the Muslim religion or the inner workings of the PRC, but they will certainly understand tensions between government and minority groups, as well as infrastructure projects, and even trade to an extent. Also, teaching about world religions through a modern lense (rather than a historical or "discovery" lense) could also foster more authentic connections for students. 

[Deborah Whetstone]

Thank you both for sharing what you found!!  I will absolutely be making use of those!

 

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