What is communism? Question of the Day

Communism An economic and political system based on one party government and state ownership of property The government makes all economic decisions: they decide what and how much will be produced and who gets what, state owns all farms, factories, stores, and utilities, government decides the role everyone will play (personal lives), everyone is equal…

asia/july-dec05/china_10-04.html China’s Rising Economy 11 minutes

Class Notes: Democracy or Communism? China’s Economy

 Since 1978, China has shifted from a centrally planned economy (communism) to a more market-type economy (capitalism).  GDP = $13.37 trillion (2013)(second largest economy in the world in purchasing power after U.S.)  Labor Force= MM workers (approximately 2.6 x U.S. population)

China’s Economy  China's GDP will rise from $13.37 trillion in 2013 to $20.3 trillion in 2016, the US' economy will increase from $16.72 trillion to $19.7 trillion.  China's portion of the global economy will increase from 14% to 23.8%, while the US' share will decrease to 20 percent.  Source: "China's economy to surpass US in 2016: IMF." Business Daily Update 26 Apr Gale Power Search. Web. 8 Feb

China’s Governmental Paradox Freedoms… Government encourages business development Citizens free to buy & sell whatever they want Work at any job Anything that helps China economically goes… Gov’t lowered cost of cell/internet to shrink digital divide

Controls… People have no political freedoms Cannot speak out against the sovereign right of the communist party in China to rule and govern China in any manner they want. Government authorities can block access to internet (YouTube, etc) and text messaging/phone services – this censorship is difficult

Example: Tiananmen Square 1989  Pro-democracy rally that thousands gathered at over a three-week period  International media watched as events unfolded  Chinese government used force to disperse crowds—drove tanks into crowd and shot at protestors…with the world watching…

Example: Tiananmen Square 1989  People in their 20’s don’t know this happened!! Why is that??

Economic Challenges To sustain adequate job growth for tens of millions of workers laid off from state- owned enterprises, migrants, and new entrants to the work force. To reduce corruption and other economic crimes. To contain environmental damage and social strife related to the economy's rapid transformation.

Presidential Comparison Deng Xiaoping opened Chinese economy to free market reforms – he accepted technological advances because they were a part of modernization Current President Hu Jintao has cracked down on internet freedoms, lawyers, journalists, etc. – many fear that he has no vision for the future of China.

Where’s Mao? Who controls what goes into textbooks in China? What has the government chosen to focus on? What have they dropped from their textbooks? –The Chinese government –Economics, technology, and globalization –Communist revolutions and socialist theory

Where’s Mao? Mao Zedong is mentioned once- in the etiquette section Goal is supposedly to create a “more stable, less violent view of the Chinese history that serves today’s economic and political goals. Textbook downplays The Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, Tiananmen Square 1989 What are the feelings young people today express in China? Why?

Bottom Line… Economic Successes and Freedoms = Political Freedoms