China Flashcards
Official name
People’s Republic of China
Another China
The Republic of China
Taiwan - an island South East of mainland China is called republic of China
First largest GDP in the world
USA next is China
Special administrative regions
Hong Kong
Macau
Political system
• Political System:
•Single Party (Chinese Communist Party- CCP) ruled Communist state; CCP-
vanguard ( leading from the front) party following the principle of democratic centralism.
Unitary state having 22 provinces, five autonomous regions, four centrally
administered cities (including the capital, Beijing), and two Special Administrative Regions- Hong Kong and Macau.
• One country two system (administrative, economic) in Hong Kong and Macau.
Executives: Premier (head of government) and president (head of state) formally
elected by legislature, but only with approval of CCP.
The head of the CCP, the general secretary, is in effect the country’s chief
executive, and usually serves concurrently as president and head of central Military Commission.
• Legislature:
• Unicameral National People’s Congress (NPC); Single party (CPP) members.
•
About 3,000 delegates are elected indirectly from lower-level people’s
congresses for five-year terms.
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Largely a rubber-stamp body for Communist Party policies, although in
recent years has become somewhat more assertive.
•
Day to day functions are carried by the standing committee of NPC
•
CCP’s Politburo and its corresponding Standing Committee wields real
power
They select the standing committee which is formally, the “party’s highest
organ of authority” when the NPC is not in session
Judiciary:
A nationwide system of people’s courts, which is constitutionally
independent but, in fact, largely under the control of the CCP.
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A Supreme People’s Court supervises the country’s judicial system and is
formally responsible to the National People’s Congress, which also elects the court’s president.
China in a nutshell
CHINA, IN A NUTSHELL:
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Chinese civilization is more than 4000 years old. It is the land of Confucius and Buddhist religion. For most of its existence Chinese nation was ruled by dynastic Empire till 1911.
Last 100 years of which was semi colonial- indirect colonial rules by European powers.
Revolution by Sun Yat Sen’s nationalist party made China a republic, free from colonial rule, in 1912. After formation of Chinese communist party in 1921, long struggle between nationalists and communists happened.
• Japan’s attack on China in 1937, nationalist’s defeat and communist’s resistance led to rise of Communist Party which established Communist China (PRC) in 1949; Nationalists, fled to Taiwan Island and formed govt in Taiwan (ROC). Till 1979, Taiwan was recognized as China and was given veto power in UN by the International State System.
• From 1949-76, under supreme leader Mao Zedong, China followed state socialism of different kind- rural peasant based, cultural revolution, socio-political purification, and revolutionary zeal.
• But Maoism didn’t bring economic prosperity. By 1977, China was a poor underdeveloped economy far behind Japan, Taiwan, and Hongkong.
• Under pragmatic leadership of Deng Xiaoping, since 1978 China adopted controlled capitalism, unleashing productive potential of its huge labour force. Unique combination of single party communist rule and market economy brought Chinese Miracle.
• Today, China is 2nd largest Economy, largest trading nation, regional superpower and most
credible challenger to USA hegemony. But its lack of soft and structural power may come in its way of becoming global leader.
BRI - belt and Road initiatives
(Belt and Road Initiatives) - Building structural power
• Multi-trillion-dollar project to build infrastructure for smooth trade with
China
• Dedicated trade corridors-Road, High speed trains, maritime silk route, building ports, oil pipelines, optical fibre cables, technology parks, etc.
• 60 countries joined, cheap unconditional loans to authoritarian and non-democratic countries of Africa & Asia.
