民族国家视阈下我国“西北边疆”的生成与政治地理意义

近代以来，我国在现代民族国家的建构与治理过程中，对“西北边疆”的认识与界定是一个逐渐成熟的过程．最终的形成是西方资本主义入侵后，传统封建王权国家被迫与国际社会接轨的结果，既符合我国政治地理的演变历史，也符合现代民族国家形成与发展的一般规律，，由此，边疆治理观念发生变化，首先在由传统“塞防为主”国防布局向近代“海防、塞防并重”的国防布局变迁中，维护西北陆权是伸张海权的基本前提；其次，西北边疆由国内地缘政治要素向国际地缘政治要素升级；第三，两个层次的“西北边疆”具有特殊重要的国防意义。至此，确定西北疆界、守卫国土成为近代以来我国作为民族国家对西北边疆治理的主旨。

Formation and Geopolitical Significance of Chinese Northwest Frontier from a Perspective of Ethnic Nation

Since modern time, during the construction and administration of modern ethnic nation, China has gradually become mature in understanding and defining ＂northwest frontier＂. The final formation was the result of the traditional feudalistic nation＇s contact with international society ever since the invasion of western capitalism. This is both a changing history of Chinese geopolitics and a general principle of the formation and development of a modern ethnic nation. Therefore, changes take place in the concept of frontier administration. First, the national defense plan changes from traditional land-defense-centered one to modern balance of land and coast defense, the northwest frontier defense is the precondition of coast defense. Second, the domestic geopolitical element of northwest frontier is updated into international level. Third, the northwest frontier at the two levels has a special significance of national defense. Thus, maintaining northwest frontier and guarding the national territory is the key to the northwest frontier administration for China as an ethnic nation.