China's Response to Spreading Protests in Inner Mongolia

Protests among ethnic Mongolians in the Chinese autonomous region of Inner Mongolia have spread and intensified in the past week. The current clashes, between Mongolian herders and ethnic Han coal workers, belie deep-seated tensions over the region's rapid economic development and influx of ethnic Han. While clashes currently are limited to Inner Mongolia, their handling has been a challenge for local authorities, especially the province's new Party secretary, Hu Chunhua, who is currently seen as a likely presidential successor but who could find his career marred by prolonged unrest.