China Today China vs. US Quiz http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/quiz.html

Facts Population: over 1.3 billion Capital: Beijing (11 million people) Official Name: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) Run by one party – the Communist Party President: Xi Jinping Official Language: Mandarin (though only 53% of people can communicate in this language due to the many other dialects and languages in China) Currency: yuan

How big is China? China’s population is 1.3 billion – the most populated country in the world (#2 India, #3 US) China represents 20% of the world’s population. (1 out of every 5 people in the world live in China.)  By the year 2050, India is predicted to have the most populated country due to China’s continued low birth rate. 

China vs. the U. S. in Size China United States SOURCE: Topic 5: “The Awakening Giant” by Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue, Dept. of Economics & Geography, Hofstra University.

Comparing China & the U. S. United States Size 3.7 million square miles 3.6 million square miles Population over 1.3 billion over 300 million Main physical barrier Himalayas Rockies Main River Yangtze / East – West Mississippi / North – South Most People Live East Coast Connectivity problems North - South East - West

China as % of World Population

The Population of China Thousands of people Year

Population Density

NEW Child Policy From 1979 to 2015, Chinese couples were permitted to only have one child in an effort to slow China’s huge population growth. NOW the policy has changed! Exceptions: Non-ethnic Chinese living in China Chinese who live in rural areas (especially those who have a girl or child with a disability) Punishments: Fines and government pressure…

Results of One Child Policy Fewer female babies (male children were traditionally preferred in Chinese culture) High infanticide and abandonment rate among female babies Now there is a lack of females in the society Fewer young people now means that they are facing a shortage of workers and young people to care for a large elderly population

Communist Government The government’s purpose is to carry out the laws of the Communist Party. Authoritarian Government: one group (the Communist Party) controls the government and no other parties are allowed Elections are only held within the party. There are citizen rights listed in the constitution but they are often ignored. In many places, free village elections for local leaders are held though.

How did China become a communist country? After WWII the Chinese went through a huge and violent Civil War The Communist Party led by Mao Zedong gained control of most of Mainland China by 1949  The People’s Republic of China (PRC) The Nationalist Party led by Chiang Kai-shek retreated to the island of Taiwan  The Republic of China (ROC)

Reasons for the Communists’ Success Mao won support of peasants by ensuring them land and food (they had been poor and starving for a very long time, especially during WWII). Mao won support of women. Mao’s army used guerilla war tactics to ensure he would have military victory. Many Chinese saw the Nationalist government as corrupt – they hadn’t done much to help the average Chinese yet. Many felt that the Nationalists allowed foreigners to dominate China.

Tiananmen Square, 1989 More democracy! Students began a protest in Beijing asking for “more democracy”. The protests spread to other parts of China. The Communist government cracked down and sent in tanks to stop the protestors and many were killed. As a result, the Communist government kicked out all foreign reporters and arrested and punished any remaining protestors.

The Government Clamps Down Tiananmen Square, 1989 The Government Clamps Down One Lone Man’s Protest

What do you have with you right now that says Economy Over the past 25 years, China has had the fastest-growing economy in the world. Though China still has a communist government, they do have a mostly capitalist economy today. Capitalism: an economic system where individuals and private businesses own the materials to make, distribute, and sell goods. Industry and agriculture employ over 70% of the work force. China exports billons of dollars to the U.S. in electronics, office machinery, and apparel (clothing), as well as some agricultural produce each year. What do you have with you right now that says “MADE IN CHINA” ?

U.S. Debt Debt: money that is owed The U.S. debt is more than $19 trillion. The largest foreign holder of U.S. debt is China, which owns more than about $1.2 trillion. In total, China owns about 8% of publicly held U.S. debt. Of all the holders of U.S. debt, China is the third-largest. Other large foreign holders of U.S. debt include Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. While, the bulk of U.S. Debt is owned by the American people and its government, that’s still a lot of IOUs.

Human Rights Freedom of Speech: China continues the monitoring, intimidation, and arrest of journalists, internet writers, religious activists, and people who disagree with the government. Freedom of Religion: The Chinese government recognizes five official religions - Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Catholicism, and Protestantism. The Communist government supports atheism: belief in no god; however, it tolerates the practice of the above religions in China. Freedom to Assemble/Petition (Protest): Tiananmen Square, Tibet, etc… Workers Rights: http://www.pbs.org/kqed/chinainside/edlesson1.html

Thoughts to Leave With China is a country full of people just like the U.S. There are problems and great achievements. YOUR JOB is to be as educated as you can about other people so you can work with them in our global world.

#18 Questions and Answers Human Rights Julia: “Why do they block the Chinese from certain websites?” Britney: “Why do the factory workers make so little money?” – Emmy: “If the government is so rich, why are so many people in poverty?” Lily: “Why don’t more people just think for themselves?” – Dante: “Why don’t the people just assassinate their leaders?” Cassidy: “How many religions are there in China?” Autumn: “How much MORE does China do to control the way people live?” Alex: “What does ‘severely punished’ mean?” http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2012/12/dissident-artist-ai-weiwei-not-optimistic-about-new-chinese-leadership.html

#18 Questions and Answers Pollution Lauren: “Why do people sometimes wear masks in the cities?” http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50475969 Luke: “Why are there so many bicycles?” Sarah: “Why doesn’t China go green’?”