People of all ethnic groups, professions contribute to prosperity of China-Kyrgyzstan border

<article><section data-type="rtext">By Xu Lili, Huang ManBorder areas play an important role that cannot be ignored in promoting high-level opening up and face various types of security threats as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is widely responded. In particular, the borderline between China and Kyrgyzstan, which stretches 1,100 km in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has witnessed remarkable achievements in security governance. People of all ethnic groups and doing different jobs along the borderline are working together to build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future through border trade and non-governmental exchanges. They are also jointly handling border-crossing and incidents violating the two countries' national security. Managing the borderline with openness, they have connected the sense of community for the Chinese nation with the China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future.Jointly safeguarding border security and stabilityJigin Township lies in the vast border area between China and Kyrgyzstan. Having a 104 km borderline, it is home to the township government, border defense troops, border police stations and border checkpoints. The township administers four villages, in which 763 villagers are border guards.Toyun Township, with a border line as long as 115 km, also houses the township government, border checkpoints, border police stations, companies of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and border defense regiments of the People's Liberation Army. Three villages are under the jurisdiction of the township, and 776 villagers are border guards.In the above two townships, people of different ethnic groups and professions are contributing together to safeguarding the China-Kyrgyzstan border. Among them, the servicemen, who manage the mountain passes and borderline, are from different ethnic groups in multiple Chinese provinces and autonomous regions, including Xinjiang, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Guizhou. The police officer team, responsible for managing public affairs, is composed of ex-servicemen, policemen, graduates of public security universities and other civil servants from different provinces and autonomous regions. New jobs are emerging in herdsmen over the recent years, who have long dwelled in the border region. For instance, many of the government personnel were selected from local herdsmen. Besides, a great number of the herdsmen have turned into agritainment facility owners, drivers, cross-border businessmen, and couriers, who safeguard the borderline while making a living.The efforts to strengthen border security made by people of all ethnic groups and professions in Xinjiang mirror the modern development of joint military-civil border defense, as well as the essence and experience of China's governance of land borders.People of different professions, while working to safeguard the borderline, have gradually dismantled the barriers between ethnic groups, which not only consolidates the security and development of the China-Kyrgyzstan borderline, but also promotes the progress of the sense of community for the Chinese nation.Building a better life in border areasPeople of all ethnic groups and professions living along the China-Kyrgyzstan border are united and pursuing the vitalization of the countryside. They rely on, help and learn from each other in work and life, creating a better life while safeguarding the borderline. Most parts of the borderline between China and Kyrgyzstan are located in remote and high-altitude valleys, which are prone to natural disasters such as debris flow in the summer. When accidents happen, police officers in Ulugqat County would always rush to the sites at the earliest time possible to rescue trapped vehicles and protect the lives and property of the people. They have established a close bond with the herdsmen during the rescue missions. That's why herdsmen are highly cooperative whenever police officers publicize policies or handles family disputes in villages.In Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, all primary school, middle school and university students speak standard mandarin. However, their parents are not as good as them in this regard. Therefore, local government officials organized activities in summer and winter vacations to mobilize students to teach their parents mandarin, so that it would be easier for the latter to communicate with other people whenever they travel to other parts of the country or sell their farm produce. Local Kyrgyz people have launched active cooperation in animal husbandry to promote rural vitalization, and are working to preserve local traditions in clothing, food, housing and traveling centering on the yurt, which contributes to the cultural advancement of the Chinese nation and has significantly promoted the development of local tourism and culture sectors.Development ought to promote ethnic unity and progress, safeguard national unity and oppose separation, and improve livelihood and rally the people's support. If that is the case, the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of people of all ethnic groups will definitely be enhanced.Jointly promoting good-neighborliness in border areasThe border between China and Kyrgyzstan is one of the safe borders in Xinjiang, which is a result of the common efforts made by people of all ethnic groups and professions in Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture. While reinforcing border defense, they also contribute to friendship and good-neighborliness in border areas with concrete actions.China and Kyrgyzstan have launched close economic and cultural cooperation for mutual exchanges. For example, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway jointly built by the three countries, upon completion, is expected to significantly drive the economic development and foreign communication of the countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt, especially Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and TurkmenistanChina and Kyrgyzstan treat each other with equality and good-neighborliness in terms of both politics and diplomacy. Kyrgyzstan is of important strategic importance for the security of Xinjiang, especially the southern part of it. It is a gateway to Xinjiang's security. The security in the China-Kyrgyzstan border region is closely associated with the security of the two countries.In today's world, no country could seek development on its own. With regard to border governance, we should both eliminate the factors threatening our country's territory, sovereignty and people, and build and optimize development and opening-up platforms such as comprehensive bonded areas, border economic cooperation zones, cross-border economic cooperation zones and cross-border tourism cooperation zones, so as to modernize China's border governance system and capability in the new era.Author：Professor Lili Xu, China Border Security Research Center/ School of history and culture, Lanzhou UniversityPHD Student, Man Huang, China Border Security Research Center/ School of history and culture, Lanzhou University</section></article>

By Xu Lili, Huang Man

Border areas play an important role that cannot be ignored in promoting high-level opening up and face various types of security threats as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is widely responded. In particular, the borderline between China and Kyrgyzstan, which stretches 1,100 km in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has witnessed remarkable achievements in security governance. People of all ethnic groups and doing different jobs along the borderline are working together to build a China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future through border trade and non-governmental exchanges. They are also jointly handling border-crossing and incidents violating the two countries' national security. Managing the borderline with openness, they have connected the sense of community for the Chinese nation with the China-Kyrgyzstan community with a shared future.

Jointly safeguarding border security and stability

Jigin Township lies in the vast border area between China and Kyrgyzstan. Having a 104 km borderline, it is home to the township government, border defense troops, border police stations and border checkpoints. The township administers four villages, in which 763 villagers are border guards.

Toyun Township, with a border line as long as 115 km, also houses the township government, border checkpoints, border police stations, companies of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and border defense regiments of the People's Liberation Army. Three villages are under the jurisdiction of the township, and 776 villagers are border guards.

In the above two townships, people of different ethnic groups and professions are contributing together to safeguarding the China-Kyrgyzstan border.

Among them, the servicemen, who manage the mountain passes and borderline, are from different ethnic groups in multiple Chinese provinces and autonomous regions, including Xinjiang, Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu and Guizhou. The police officer team, responsible for managing public affairs, is composed of ex-servicemen, policemen, graduates of public security universities and other civil servants from different provinces and autonomous regions.

New jobs are emerging in herdsmen over the recent years, who have long dwelled in the border region. For instance, many of the government personnel were selected from local herdsmen. Besides, a great number of the herdsmen have turned into agritainment facility owners, drivers, cross-border businessmen, and couriers, who safeguard the borderline while making a living.

The efforts to strengthen border security made by people of all ethnic groups and professions in Xinjiang mirror the modern development of joint military-civil border defense, as well as the essence and experience of China's governance of land borders.

People of different professions, while working to safeguard the borderline, have gradually dismantled the barriers between ethnic groups, which not only consolidates the security and development of the China-Kyrgyzstan borderline, but also promotes the progress of the sense of community for the Chinese nation.

Building a better life in border areas

People of all ethnic groups and professions living along the China-Kyrgyzstan border are united and pursuing the vitalization of the countryside. They rely on, help and learn from each other in work and life, creating a better life while safeguarding the borderline. Most parts of the borderline between China and Kyrgyzstan are located in remote and high-altitude valleys, which are prone to natural disasters such as debris flow in the summer. When accidents happen, police officers in Ulugqat County would always rush to the sites at the earliest time possible to rescue trapped vehicles and protect the lives and property of the people. They have established a close bond with the herdsmen during the rescue missions. That's why herdsmen are highly cooperative whenever police officers publicize policies or handles family disputes in villages.

In Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture, all primary school, middle school and university students speak standard mandarin. However, their parents are not as good as them in this regard. Therefore, local government officials organized activities in summer and winter vacations to mobilize students to teach their parents mandarin, so that it would be easier for the latter to communicate with other people whenever they travel to other parts of the country or sell their farm produce. Local Kyrgyz people have launched active cooperation in animal husbandry to promote rural vitalization, and are working to preserve local traditions in clothing, food, housing and traveling centering on the yurt, which contributes to the cultural advancement of the Chinese nation and has significantly promoted the development of local tourism and culture sectors.

Development ought to promote ethnic unity and progress, safeguard national unity and oppose separation, and improve livelihood and rally the people's support. If that is the case, the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of people of all ethnic groups will definitely be enhanced.

Jointly promoting good-neighborliness in border areas

The border between China and Kyrgyzstan is one of the safe borders in Xinjiang, which is a result of the common efforts made by people of all ethnic groups and professions in Kizilsu Kyrgyz Autonomous Prefecture. While reinforcing border defense, they also contribute to friendship and good-neighborliness in border areas with concrete actions.

China and Kyrgyzstan have launched close economic and cultural cooperation for mutual exchanges. For example, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway jointly built by the three countries, upon completion, is expected to significantly drive the economic development and foreign communication of the countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt, especially Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan

China and Kyrgyzstan treat each other with equality and good-neighborliness in terms of both politics and diplomacy. Kyrgyzstan is of important strategic importance for the security of Xinjiang, especially the southern part of it. It is a gateway to Xinjiang's security. The security in the China-Kyrgyzstan border region is closely associated with the security of the two countries.

In today's world, no country could seek development on its own. With regard to border governance, we should both eliminate the factors threatening our country's territory, sovereignty and people, and build and optimize development and opening-up platforms such as comprehensive bonded areas, border economic cooperation zones, cross-border economic cooperation zones and cross-border tourism cooperation zones, so as to modernize China's border governance system and capability in the new era.

Author：

Professor Lili Xu, China Border Security Research Center/ School of history and culture, Lanzhou University

PHD Student, Man Huang, China Border Security Research Center/ School of history and culture, Lanzhou University