National Construction Of Ethnic Relations

As a subsistent and fluctuant form of human community, ethnic groups represent the objective reality of human existence and lifestyle. During the development of human society, as long as different ethnic groups begin to have contact with each other, there will be inevitably a question followed as to how they should interact with each other. And the way of interaction constitutes ethnic relationship.The building of ethnic relationship, no matter it is active or passive, generally complies with a dynamic movement of segmentation-aggregation-integration, which can exist side by side or contain each other, and the movement direction can also be reversed. Segmentation is not equal to isolation, aggregation is not immutable, and segmentation also lies in integration. The construction of ethnic relationship is a historical dynamic process.In the nation-state structure, on the surface, ethnic relationship is an issue between different ethnic groups. In essence, the dominant force affecting ethnic relationship is the country, which makes the ethnic policies that directly influence ethnic relationship in reality, and plays an important role in founding a state and affecting the destiny of the state. So the country has to construct ethnic relationship necessarily.While ethnic groups exist as a kind of social segmentation fact, it inevitably influences the resource distribution, no matter the way showed to be active or passive, conscious or involuntary. The truth of the ethnic problem is the ethnic relationship, and it means the interests in the final analysis. The essence of ethnic unity is the process and state in which various ethnic groups achieve mutual identity and aggregation for common ideals based on common interests. The basis for the unity is the relative balance of interests.The construction of Yunnan ethnic relationship has generally developed from the segmentation to aggregation, and is approaching integration. It has gone through the process from a binary interaction between the center government and the frontier, to the increased identification toward mother country and the Chinese nation after all the hardships and adversities that different ethnic groups have endured together in the modern times. Then, it evolved from the new relationship recognition and aggregation produced in the context of growing political, social and economic homogenization in the People’s Republic of China, to the reshaping of a mutually affecting relationship and new aggregation in the transition to market economy. Yunnan ethnic relationship has epitomized the historical construction and modern construction of Chinese ethnic relationship.It is a matter of huge significance to choose proper ethnic policies in China’s modern process. Ethnic relationship study based on the case of Yunnan ethnic relationship not only can confirm the historical construction of Chinese ethnic relationship, but also can verify the rules regarding the relationship development of ethnic communities in the human society, illustrate the theoretical assumption of segmentation, aggregation and integration. And it will be helpful to think about and choose a way of harmonious development for the humankind, and helpful for the determination of proper ethnic policies in China’s modernization.