China
Overview 1.3 billion people Population will decline in 2030 92% Han Chinese Major Ethnic Groups: Uyghur and Tibetans Lingua Franca is Mandarin
Overview: Economic World’s second largest economy. Owns $895 billion of US treasuries 2005 exchange rate: 8.19 yaun= 1 $ 2011 exchange rate: 6.5938 yuan= 1$
A Brief History Long history of dynasties (3,500 years) Qing Dynasty – last dynasty, 1911 = revolution led by Sun Yat-sen Yuan Shikai was the republic’s 1st president Long March in 1934 led by Mao Zedong against Chiang Kai-shek Taiwan still refers to itself as the Republic of China
Government Today 1949 - Mao Zedong created the People’s Republic of China Currently dominated by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) 3 branches of govt. with a unicameral Congress Divided into 23 provinces
Executive Branch President: Hu Jintao Vice President: Xi JinPing
Heads of Government Premier (Prime Minister): Wen JiaBao Executive Vice Premier: Li KeQiang Vice Premiers: Hui LiangYu, Zhang DeJiang, Wang QiShan
Legislative Branch National People's Congress: Currently 2,987 seats. Each person serves a 5-year term. Members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses and the People's Liberation Army.
Judicial Branch Supreme People's Court: Judges appointed by National People's Congress. Current president: Wang ShengJun 9 Vice-Presidents under him.
Legitimacy Considered legitimate by people and other countries. Has charismatic, ideological, coercion, and performance legitimacy Lacks legal/institutional legitimacy Societal legitimacy faltering.
Legitimacy: An Exciting Continuation People of rural areas have distrusted the government since the Great Leap Forward. Feel the government has departed from traditional Maoist values Sensitive to corruption
Ethnic Cleavages: Tibet Tibet and China were united by Mongol Invasion and Yuan Dynasty. White Papers claim China has de facto control 1950- People’s Liberation’s Army Invades 17 Points Agreement
Free Tibet Why: Tibet is historically independent Tibetans are being mistreated by the Chinese government The Chinese government is repressing religion and culture
Hu’s Visit to America January 19th Economic relationship U.S. debt to China Treatment of human rights activists China’s place in today’s world http://dailybail.com/home/snl-presidential-mockery-hu- jintao-asks-obama-why-you-not-ki.html
Current Event Liu Xiaobo won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent actions to improve human rights in China He is currently in prison; in 2009 he was sentenced to 11 years of prison China did not allow Liu Xiaobo to receive the award and an empty chair was left in his honor at the ceremonies
Political Culture Self-reliance – Great Leap Forward, not reliant on elite Collectivism prevails, but a more individualistic society is emerging CCP wants loyalty to focus on itself Political culture is also shaped by unique geography Confucian values – order, harmony, hierarchy
Discussion Questions Do you think the Chinese government should undergo a process of checks and balances to even out power? What is your opinion on human rights in China? Do you think restraining human rights decreases China’s potential to be a greater nation? Do you think that with China’s expanding economy the flow of information and ideas will culminate in a revolution (peaceful or violent)? Is it possible that some Chinese ideas can spread to the rest of the world because of its economic successes? Should China let go of Tibet? Taiwan?
HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY.
Sources http://www.walrushole.com/designer/archives/2006/11/legitimac y_of_t.html http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb137/is_3_25/ai_n2904280 3/pg_2/?tag=content;col1 http://www.cfr.org/china/media-censorship-china/p11515 http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/asia/china/china-taiwan.html http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-02/world/china.us_1_mainland- taiwan-relations-taiwan-issue-taiwan-strait?_s=PM:WORLD