‘Go south, bingtuan! The Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps’ Southward Development Strategy’ by Professor Björn Alpermann



Organised by the Centre for Himalayan Studies, SHSS, this talk aimed to contribute to a deeper understanding of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC) or bingtuan in the context of the CPC’s ongoing policies of “cultural genocide” in the region. It focuses on the Corps’ “southward development” strategy, exploring its role in reshaping ethnic and population structures, urbanization, and governance in the traditionally Uyghur-populated southern Xinjiang. The study draws upon documentary and discourse analyses of political texts, media, and academic sources, complemented by social media and geographical data.

Professor Alpermann’s research interests include urbanization and minority policies in the People’s Republic of China. He is also the co-Principal Investigator in the EU-funded research project “Remote Ethnography of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”

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