2b - China Flashcards
State some facts about China
Population of 1.4 billion people
Bordered by 14 countries
18,000km coastline
9.6km2 area
How does China’s geography creates opportunities nationally?
- The Heartland, formed by the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers and Grand Canal, supports agriculture and a dense Han population
- Chongqing & Chengdu - previously rich in raw materials so have seen massive growth
- Three Gorges Dam on Yangtze generates energy for China’s industry and increasingly affluent population
- Pearl River Delta Megalopolis - major urban & industrial region grown as a manufacturing hub with access to coastal transport links contributing to migration at early 21st century
How does China’s geography create barriers nationally?
- Hostile physical geography such as the Gobi Desert and the Himalayas, and China’s large size, impedes movement of goods, people etc
- Taiwan claimed by China, but only ruled by them for 5 years in the last century
- Hong Kong was ruled by British until 1997, after Opium wars. It was run as a democracy for 50 years - Beijing worried about growing political voice & protests from young people who are worried about decreasing jobs and increasing political control
How does China’s geography create opportunities globally?
- Shanghai was a treaty port after Opium wars and has developed as a result of international trade. Colonial powers (Fr&Br) focused investment here - now world’s busiest container port
- Tibetan Plateau is the source of China’s 3 major river and forcefully controlled by Beijing - 4 trains from Shanghai to Beijing a day
- Mekong River flows into Laos, Thailand and Vietnam who want to make use of it for industrialisation
How does China’s geography create barriers globally ?
- The Spratly/Senkaku Islands lie on top of oil/gas reserves but are part of territorial waters for surrounding countries
- Ryukyu islands home to huge American military base & as many missiles as the Japanese can put there
- East South China Sea claimed by China (20 million barrels of oil) but they refuse to attend discussions with the International Maritime Tribunal
What is China’s political context today regionally?
China depends on control over E/S China Seas so it can trade with countries unopposed
China didn’t depend on IMF/WB support to grow, unlike the rest of the Asian Tigers who grew much faster
What is China’s political context today globally?
China doesn’t want to interfere with other countries in the way it was interfered with by Western Governments
Other countries rely on China’s Asian Development bank, particularly in SE Asia & Sub-Saharan Africa
China won’t deal with any countries that recognise Taiwan
What is China’s social context regionally?
China uses a numerical rating system to judge the quality & contribution individuals make to society eg social media use, financial standing, recycling
Rural poverty means many young people migrate to cities to find work in factories/SEZ etc but they have few rights to housing
What is China’s social context globally?
Population are increasingly wealthy and consumerist wanting luxury
Treatment of Uighur Muslims in NW has been criticised
90th/132 in the world for social progress
What is China’s cultural context regionally?
China influenced by Confucian and Buddhist thought - collectively there will be wealth & everyone has the responsibility to integrate themselves into society
Older buildings and alleyways (Hutongs) have been replaced by practical and hygienic living - cultural erosion
What is China’s cultural context globally?
Growing demand for Chinese martial arts/ films/ language learning (Mandarin) and tourism
Promotes itself on a world stage eg hosting Olympics in 2008 & investment in football teams
Tourism - 55.9 million visitors in 2010
What is China’s environmental context regionally?
Huge HEP station, Three Gorges Dam, feeds all parts of China including economic growth in Chongquing and along the Yangtze Corridor and controlling horrific flooding downstream
As a result of being one of the largest manufacturing countries severe environmental degradation, although changing attitudes
What is China’s environmental context globally?
Investment in newer green technological solutions eg electric cards
Now largest produce of solar photovoltaic cells, 99% of which are exported
Net importer of oil, microchips, iron ore & gold
Major exporter of technology
What is China’s growth like?
In late 20th and early 21st century rapid, sustained economic growth
Now second largest economy ($16.8T) behind USA
Growth of GDP and GNI per capita surpasses most other emerging and some developed countries
What is Shanghai like?
Nearly 40 million inhabitants - most populous urban Chinese area
One of the 5 treaty ports - trading post with West following Opium Wars
Intense redevelopment & growth since 1990s
Centre for finance, trade, education, R&D, culture
Top 10 busiest airport
Largest container port in the world
State some facts about China’s leadership
Ruled by Chinese Communist Party since 1949
One party state
Leader of this party is the leader of the country
Why did economic liberalisation take place?
Chinese government wanted economic growth
Much of this was the result of the liberalising policies of Deng Xiaoping (1978-1989)
How did economic liberalisation take place?
The government:
- liberalised trade - removing barriers to foreign TNCs
- set up SEZs (special economic zones) - where TNCs don’t pay taxes/tariffs on imports/exports of goods
- allowed Chinese entrepreneurs to set up private businesses providing outsourcing
- attracted TNCs through cheap labour, gov support and large potential domestic market
How does FDI work?
- TNCs invest in infrastructure to make production easier eg transport, communication, energy supply
- TNCs outsource secondary jobs to local companies, growing Chinese businesses and paying wages to Chinese workers
- Gov income rises from bigger tax base so gov invests in services & infrastructure
- positive multiplier effect as investment in an industry creates widespread growth
How has FDI benefitted China?
- rising GDP/GNI per capita
- wealthier & more skilled workers, more spending
- increased tax to invest in education, services etc
- growth of Chinese outsourcing companies
- higher education led to growth of tertiary and quaternary sectors
- expertise in manufacturing and R&D allows Chinese producers to set up
What did Deng Xiaoping do?
Intiated reforms that moved China away from a centrally planned & controlled economy to a socialist market economy
Encouraged TNCs to invest in outsourcing manufacturing
Came at a time of global economic liberalisation (Reaganism/Thatcherism) and globalisation
What is the Pearl River Delta?
Comprises of 9 cities in the Guangdong province (hong kong, macau etc)
World’s biggest megacity (pop of more than 66 million due to mass migration)
Less than 1% of China’s territory and 5% of its population but generates more than 10% GDP and 25% of exports
GDP of >$1.2 trillion with 12% annual growth
>$1 trillion of FDI since 1980
How has development occured in the Pearl
River Delta?
China invested in infrastructure - the Hong Kong, Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is 55km long crossing the Pearl River Estuary - longest sea crossing in the world reducing travel from 4hrs to 30mins
Old buildings in Hubei demolished for new sky scrapers
Describe China’s financial situation
Huge amounts of debt as some cities are ghost cities
Received multi-lateral aid up to $1.4bn a year until recently - now just $12 million from USA to help Tibetan communities adapt to climate change
Describe the population of China
Rapid pop growth in 20th century - most populous around 1950
1980-2015 One Child Policy implemented on a national level designed to curb birth rate, avoid famine & encourage economic growth
Prevented estimate of 400million briths
Punishments for those who didn’t adhere were fines, no child registration document & forced abortions/sterilisations
Greying population caused
Lower birth rates also caused due to education increase, access to contraception & women in careers
What problems were created by the population change in China?
Gender imbalance - parents mostly preferred boys so aborted and abandoned daughters
Children were expected to support elderly but many children were only Childs so have to support 2 parents and 4 grand parents
Fewer economically active supporting older dependents
Describe the regional differences in China
East (core), West (periphery)
East has:
High formal employment, wages
Good level of education, housing quality
Major cities, mostly advantageous physical geo
Government policies, population flow in (high pop density)
West has:
Unemployment, lack of investment
Poor services, housing, education
Net migration out (low pop density)
Mainly primary employment
What are the effects of economic growth in the East?
FDI from foreign TNCs - rising wages, infrastructure investment
Improvement in education & health services eg Shanghai Maths program 3 years ahead
Multiplier effect
However, exploitation of labour eg child labour, low wages, poor working conditions
Environmental problems - air pollution creates breathing issues
What are the effects of economic growth in the West?
Rural periphery left behind
RUM - outward migration
Spiral of economic decline
Politically ignored by elite in core
Ageing population have no one to look after them as people leave
Lack of money for health care, need for education
However one child policy avoided famines
How has air pollution affected China?
83% exposed to air deemed unhealthy by US EPA
Breathing air in Beijing has the same impact as smoking 40 cigarettes a day resulting in respiratory disease, asthma, low birth weight
Air pollution contributes to 17% of all death per year
China largest producer of CO2 contributing to climate change - a third of the global total
How has water pollution affected China?
In rural areas fertilisers, pesticides and livestock waste are carried into rivers
In urban areas industrial waste & toxic waste from factories pollutes water (not allowed by poor regulation or corruption)
60% of China’s ground water resources polluted
How was land degradation affected China?
Desertification affects up to 25% of surface area
Due to exploitation (water extraction, deforestation) & climate change
What are the regional differences in terms of environmental issues?
Industrial east and south most badly affected due to economic activities (Beijing and Shanghai factories)
South has lower levels of pollution due to monsoon climate
North worst due to cold winters & semi arid biomes
PM2.5 in large western cities such as Chongqing and Chengdu are double the national average
What has China done well environmentally?
Generated 1/3rd of the world’s solar power
Reforestation project in NE has seen 1/2m hectares of trees planted, preventing deforestation
China accounts for 58% of global electric car production
What is China’s relationship with the USA?
US views S & E China Seas as international waters so US ships patrol & conduct manoeuvres to make sure shipping lanes are open
China is building ports and bases in Burma, Bangladesh, Pakistan & Sri Lanka due to Us Navy’s 7th Fleet being based in Japan
China introduced tariffs on a range of Chinese products eg aluminium (trade wars)
What is China’s relationship with the UK & EU?
UK’s third largest trading partner
A Chinese business, CGN, funded 33% of a nuclear UK project
EU refers to China as systemic rival
EU arms embargo on China since 1989 Tiananmen Square protests- no countries able to sell weapons
Chinese companies dump high quantities of products onto global markets, pushing down prices and bankrupting EU businesses
What is the regional asian influence on China?
Brutal occupation by Japan in 20th century makes difficult political relationship
Border disputes with India - China wants to protect its water sources in the Himalayas
Belt & Road initiative - 149 countries receive investment from China in infrastructure projects that link China through road, rail and ports to South Asia, North Africa and europe
Provides bilateral aid to North Korea
What international organisations are China a part of?
China joined the world trade organisation in 2001 permitting easier trade with other countries
Part of ASEAN - China Free Trade Agreement 2002 with 10 other SE Asian countries removing tariffs on products
Part of BRICs - IGO of Russia, India, Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethopia - leaders meed at summits and set up New Development Bank
What happens to Taiwan?
Post WW2 Japan gave up Taiwan but after Chinese civil war the anti communists retreated to Taiwan
In 1971, the UN recognised Taiwan as the ‘one and only China’
What are benefits of changing international relations in China?
Taiwan has become a democracy in 1980s with elections in 1991
Now independent attracting FDI
What are costs of changing international relations in China?
Direct flights and shipping between China and Taiwan but cultural divides have deepened
China passes anti-succession laws in 2005 making it illegal for Taiwan to declare independence
China conducts missile tests to influence the Taiwanese elections - America responds by deploying US Navy 7th Fleet within the specific
Whats the role of TNCs in economic development of Taiwan?
Taiwanese companies boomed by initial setting up in China - China encouraged this so they feel intertwined
14 countries that don’t support Taiwan dont receive investment
