First Page of Notes Flashcards
Use four statistics to explain how big China is.
- World’s third largest country
- More people live there than anywhere else in the world
- Nearly 1/5 of the population in the world live in China
- 1.3 billion people living there
Describe the cycle in China which creates a considerable amount of wealth there.
There is a big population (1.3 billion), therefore there are many workers. Workers can then be replaced easily as there is a lot of unemployment, making people survive on a low wage. This produces many goods for a low price which creates considerable wealth. China makes Apple Phones, dolls, sunglasses, duvets, toys, clothes etc..
What is a superpower and explain how China is expected to become one.
A superpower is the world’s most powerful, wealthy and influential country. It influences what other countries do. China has a big population, big military, big wealth and right now it is right behind the USA (the current superpower). In an estimated 20 years, China may be the world’s global superpower.
What is the issue with the crowded cities and rising population?
Young people are moving to cities, therefore they are becoming crowded. The more people there, the more transport is used, and so the air is being polluted by the chemicals and greenhouse gases produced by vehicles and so the old are dying younger because of the air. Since people are leaving to go to the cities, the crops in the country are dying as there is no one to tend to them, creating food shortages. There are also housing issues as there are so many people.
What are the main languages in China and how many people there are actually Chinese?
The main languages are Mandarin and Cantonese. In China 92% of people are Chinese and the other 8% are compromised from around 55 minority ethnic groups.
In China is there the death penalty?
Yes - many Chinese support it and executions take place within days of trails and so there is no opportunity to appeal.
How many millionaires, skyscrapers, people executed last year, and air pollution related deaths are there in China?
116,000 millionaires, 11,000 skyscrapers, 1,700 executions last year and air pollution kills 400,000 every year.
What year was the One Child Policy introduced?
1979.
What was the reason behind introducing this policy?
It was a response to the growing economic, social and environmental pressures due to the large and increasing population. The government aimed to discourage and prevent families from having more than one child.
What were the issues with this policy?
There were forced abortions, female infanticide (it was preferred to have a boy) and left a huge gender imbalance. The second child (if families had another child still), had no identity, no birth certificate and therefore had no healthcare, education or rights.
Why did people think the OCP was discriminating against poor people?
Rich people could afford to pay the fines to the government or have there baby in Hong Kong, whereas the poor could not.
What were the exceptions to this policy?
If the child was either disabled or a girl, families could have another child.
When did the government decide to change the rules and why?
In October 2015, the government decided that all couples could now have two children. This was because of the rapidly ageing population and to support the economy.
Why will most couples not want to have another child?
It is expensive to raise a family, especially in the booming cities (for example Shanghai) and so people cannot afford to have another child. People may have grown up as an only child themselves so they will prefer to have only one child.
How many couples are estimated to be eligible for the two child policy?
90 million.
