Globalisation Flashcards
China’s Open Door Policy
1978
Created ‘special economic zones’ which offer tax incentives and cheap labour
By 1990, 50% of China’s GDP was generated in these areas
Encouraged FDI
ASEAN
Trade bloc
Combined population of 660 million
Sao Paulo
Gains half a million people annually
The mega-city’s infrastructure can’t cope
North Korea
‘Switched-off’
Government censors social media
Prevents sharing of ideas
What % of the world have access to the internet?
58
Benefits of the global shift for China
Rapid industrialisation = rapid urbanisation
Investment in infrastructure
Reduced poverty by 680 million
Incomes have risen by 10% a year since 2005
Better education - more skilled workforce
Costs of the global shift for China
Chinese workers poisoned by the chemicals used in touchscreens
Increase in informal housing
Pollution - 1/3 of China’s rivers are polluted, air pollution kills 4400 people a day
Land degradation
Over-exploitation of resources
Loss of biodiversity
Challenges caused by India’s rapid growth
Air pollution is India’s 5th largest killer
Advantages of Transition Town Totnes
Reduce consumption (circular economy), reduce waste, environmental damage, localism, local production
Totnes pound to boost the local economy (multiplier effect)
Disadvantages of Transition Town Totnes
Strategies like community currencies threaten global economic growth
Local production may not be as effective (e.g. using heated greenhouses)
Developed countries depend on a ‘throwaway culture’ for economic growth
Some services are coordinated centrally so are hard to influence
Reduced trade for overseas farmers/suppliers, reducing their income
M-Pesa
Online banking app in Africa
1/3 of Africa’s GDP is sent through the system
Changing diets in Asia
Spread of a western diet (fast food and meat)
Linked to rising obesity and diabetes
Wasteful
