【Title】 The Foundation of the Investigation for the Identification of Nationalities
【Author】 Wang Xi-en;
【Journal Title】 Ethno-National Studies,  2010.05
【Key words】 investigation for identification of nationalities; definition for nationality; policy about ethnic affair; ethnic and national identification;
【Abstract】The pract ical foundat ion of the invest igation for the ident if ication of nationalit ies of China is composed of the need of the nat ional work concerning the nationalit ies and requirement o f the consciousness of nat io nality. The inv est ig ation for the ident ification of natio nalit ies is a univ ersal po licy in mult i?nat ional states. The Chinese government did not imitate the Soviet Union for this invest ig at ion and had a practice with Chinese ow n characterist ics. Large?scaled invest igat ion for the identification of nationalities has been finished in China. How ever, there st ill remain some unsolved questions as w ell as some new questions are raising. Many of these questions have to be so lved. The theoretical basis o f the invest ig at ion for the ident if ication o f nat ionalit ies was Stalin’s definition of nation. But in the course of pr act ical invest igat io n, the definit ion did not be used as a dogma. Actually, the ex ercise of the def init ion is alw ays f lexible. T he def init ion of nation in the Twelve Art icles on theory and policy principle of nat io nalities by CPC Central Committee in 2005 should be the guideline of the w orks about the invest igation fo r ident if ication of nationalities in the new stage. For the change of real condit ion and recent theoretical inclination, we must increase the weight of subject ive ident if ication as a standard fo r the ident ificat ion of nationality will be set . A nd two principles that regulates and leads the investigation for identification of nat io nality, that is, benef iting the unity amo ng nationalities and the development of the group, and similar characterist ics and living in the vicinity ,should be adhered to.