China

Question 1

What did Deng say about income inequality?

Answer 1

‘we permit some people and regions to become prosperous first for the purpose of achieving common prosperity faster’

Question 2

What are some social issues faced in China (give response in a named example)?

Answer 2

White Horse Village, Wuxi County, Central China

• New high rise county capital build where village was
• Land and houses were taken
• Villagers had no say in plans, left worse off with no homes and loss of livelihood
• were promised apartment, shopfront and best education in China
• temporary shelter had no heating or hot water and had toilet blocks
• in reality only a handful of children got spaces at the school, officials and businessmen’s children took other spaces

Question 3

Why does China have such bad environmental issues?

Answer 3

• largest polluter in the world due to reliance on primary and secondary sector
• coal-fired power station commissioned one a week
• prioritises economic growth - limited legislation
• rapid urbanisation - pressure on services e.g. waste collection
• lack of democracy - limited ability to influence, lack of awareness

Question 4

What are some environmental issues faced in China?

Answer 4

• Acid rain falls on 30% of the country and is exported to Japan and S Korea
• social costs of air pollution - cancer; 400,000 premature deaths a year
• 2/5 rivers fit for consumption
• 3/4 of lakes/rivers suffer eutrophication
• toxic chemical spillages
• every year 40-60billion tonnes of wastewater/sewage into lakes and rivers
• water scarcity in semi-arid regions N&W = farmers forced to use polluted water = risk to human food chain

Question 5

State some facts about China’s income inequality:

Answer 5

• 1% of the Chinese population possess 1/3 of the country’s wealth
• 2009: urban residents earned 2.33 times more than rural areas
• Special economic zones on the coast have seen the residents’ income there triple
• Started in 1978 after market reform and opening

Question 6

What is China’s political past?

Answer 6

• 1949-1978 = Communist rule
  
  • rural collectivisation of farms and workers
  • government owned enterprises with fixed targets and wages
  • economic stagnation & famine of 30 million
  • HDI = 0.423
• in 1978 there was reform and opening to a socialist market economy
  
  • FDI and open to international trade
  • economic growth
  • increase in wages
  • HDI now 0.719

Question 7

What is China’s GDP?

Answer 7

$9.24 trillion

Question 8

What is China’s GNI PPP?

Answer 8

$11,850

Question 9

What is China’s life expectancy?

Answer 9

73

Question 10

What % of the rural population have access to an improved water source?

Answer 10

85%

Question 11

What is China’s environmental performance index score? and their global positioning?

Answer 11

43

118th