"On the one hand, the 1949 Common Program of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference enshrined ethnic equality, ethnic self-rule and ethnic solidarity as safeguards against Han chauvinism [35], 3; [36], 4. On the other, the CCP established its party organizations at every level of society to establish a more solid and centralized Chinese communist state."
Horowitz states further on
"Formal acceptance of Soviet-style federalism would make it easier for the USSR or other foreign powers to detach minority regions, and would also
pose a bigger threat to Mao’s own power within the CCP."
This is particularly true of the Xinjiang region, less for Tibet and other minority areas. See Article 51 The Chinese government cannot
easily control the high Tibetan plateau without control over Xinjiang, whereas Xinjiang is easily controlled without Tibet.
