Xinjiang production and construction corps: phenomenon of socio-economic and political institution of Chinese society

Introduction. The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is strategically important for the People’s Republic of China, due to its geographical location, economic role and ethno-religious situation. One of the key tools for controlling the troubled province is the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. The XPCC, which is often called in the PRC - Bintuan (“Corps”), occupies a central place in many ways both in the economy of the XUAR and in the system of managing the autonomous region and maintaining security in it.