Taking into account the experience of the collapse of the USSR in China’s national policy in the first quarter of the 21st century (by the example of the XUAR)

Background. The collapse of the Soviet Union has served not only as a subject of historical reflection for China but also as a conceptual warning. In the context of ethnocultural diversity and global challenges, the Chinese leadership draws on the Soviet experience as a reference point in shaping a resilient model of national policy. The aim of this article is to analyze how the interpretation of the causes behind the USSR’s disintegration has influenced China’s strategy for governing ethnic minorities in the 21st century. Materials and methods. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach that combines comparative-historical, discursive, and institutional methods. It draws on official documents of the Chinese Communist Party, speeches by Xi Jinping, regulatory acts of the PRC, as well as academic publications by Russian, Chinese, and English-speaking scholars. Results. It is established that in Chinese political doctrine, the collapse of the USSR is interpreted as the result of ideological erosion, political decentralization, and ethnocultural pluralism. In re-sponse, China implements a model of “Sinicized” integration that blends party control, ideological mobilization, and legal normalization. Particular attention is given to regions with ethnoreligious specificity, where measures of proactive identity management are applied. Conclusion. China builds its national policy as an institutional counterpoint to the late Soviet experience. Despite the current stability of this model, it contains internal tensions related to the restriction of cultural autonomy, which necessitates attention to long-term risks in the context of a transforming global order.