The development and formation of a contemporary ChinaIntroductionChina has fifty-five state-recognized minorities which, according to 2000 census calculations, constitute 8.41 percent of the population and occupy 60 percent of the country's land. the People's Republic of China (PRC). The Chinese define nationality in Stalinist terms: "a historically constituted and stable community of people, formed on the basis of a common language, territory, economic life and psychological constitution manifested in a culture common”. Economically, China is rapidly becoming a modern nation. From 1979 to 2000, China's economic growth was 9.6 percent per year, the highest of any economy during that period. This rapid growth has allowed China to reduce the number of citizens living in abject poverty. However, capitalist enterprises continue to reinforce class distinctions and the coast continues to grow much faster than the interior. China's growing political importance and economic power are making it increasingly global. In today's society, globalization and modernization are closely linked. However, globalization simultaneously undermines modernization in the sense that it destroys national sovereignty. China has always upheld the right of nations to maintain sovereignty over their internal affairs. This claim, however, becomes increasingly complicated as China becomes increasingly accountable for its human rights record on the international stage. Therefore, the way other countries formulate their policies towards China is influenced by China's current human rights record. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) faces many obstacles in its attempt to integrate ethnic minorities into the development discourse, and the world...... middle of article ......mation Co., 1990. Silk Road Development Program. 2004. Online. March 12, 2004. “Uyghur Autonomous Region.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. March 1, 2004. .“Uyghur.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. March 1, 2004. “Uyghur History.” Uighur worlds. 2004. Online. March 12, 2004. Wingfield-Hayes, Rupert. “Linguistic blow for the Muslims of China. » BBC News. 2002. BBC News Online. March 13, 2004. Sauvage, Olivier. “The Silk Road – Images”. University of California, Irvine. 1992. Online. March 8, 2004. Zingg, Elisabeth. “Uyghurs face language dilemma in China.” Global Tibet Network News. 1998. Online. March 14 2004.>