L5 - Looking for Love (Core vs. Periphery)

Question 1

What is the main cause of a decreased fertility rate in China?

Answer 1

The introduction of the One Child policy (although this has now been eased)

Question 2

How does RUM impact rural areas? i.e. the periphery

Answer 2

Rural areas start to decline as less people are living there so less services are required

Question 3

What’s been the impact of the 1 Child Policy on gender imbalance

Answer 3

There are roughly 20 million more men under the age of 30 (living in China) than women.

Question 4

What was China’s GDP growth rate until 2014?

Answer 4

An annual, average growth of 10% of China’s GDP

Question 5

What’s the impact of economic growth of China’s birth rate?

Answer 5

It falls - families become used to the idea that children will survive - large families are expensive

Women starts to prioritise careers over children

Question 6

What’s the impact of economic growth on China’s death rate?

Answer 6

It falls - more spending on health care, or better food available
More tertiary (safer) jobs than secondary

Question 7

What’s the main migration flow across China?

Answer 7

RUM

From Xinjiang in the West to the Heartland in the East

Question 8

What’s the name for China’s ‘Core’?

Answer 8

The Heartland - in the East

Question 9

What’s the name for China’s periphery?

Answer 9

Xinjiang - in the West

Question 10

What is the periphery like?

Answer 10

Unemployment
Lack of investment
Poor services
Poor housing
Quite rural
Migration is OUTwards
Maybe there will be spirals of decline

Question 11

What is the core like?

Answer 11

High formal employment - high wages
GOod education and housing
Major, growing cities
Good physical geography - e.g. near the coast
Government policies attract investment

Question 12

How might there be regional differences within China?

i.e. West vs. East

Answer 12

Socio-economic differences
Population density
Rates of growth
Levels of income
Health provision
Geographical isolation 
Proximity to the coast
Flow of labour in/out

Question 13

Are there any problems in the ‘core’ (i.e. the Heartland)?

Answer 13

Exploitation of labour in factories

Environment problems because of factories

Question 14

Are there any opportunities in the ‘periphery’ (Xinjiang)?

Answer 14

Potential for rebalancing - i.e. it could be a future source of cheap labour and new place to invest

The One Belt/One Road project will attract investment to the West of China near the mountains

Question 15

Why aren’t there many jobs in Xinjiang (West / Periphery)?

Answer 15

Not very much investment

Government policies don’t favour the West

Question 16

Why does it matter soils are poor in Xinjiang (West / Periphery)?

Answer 16

Makes it dificult to grow crops.

The rivers transport sediment to the East, to form fertile soil.

Question 17

What’s the population like in in Xinjiang (West / Periphery)?

Answer 17

Smaller -
Poor healthcare / higher life expectancy.

Older, more retired people.
Could mean more job vacancies

Question 18

Is population changing in the same away across all of China?

Answer 18

No. West vs. East.

The West is less fertile
More dangerous topography
Experiences a flow of labour to the core
Leaves older population behind
Hasn't see government investment or FDI

Question 19

Why do countries like China get cores and peripheries?

Answer 19

Government policies favouring urban areas / core
Migration changes the periphery (older) and core (younger)
Administrative and industrial (better) jobs are in the core

Question 20

What are the typical challenges faced by people in rural/periphery areas of countries like China?

Answer 20

Repopulation - people are migrating to cities
Agricultural crises - not enough workers, or climate hazards
Lack of basic services / education / health - there aren’t enough people to justify having them

Therefore people continue to leave (spiral of decline)

Question 21

Why are people suffering in the periphery of China?

Answer 21

Uighur population is being expected to conform to Chinese values.
Muslim Uighur Men are being held in ‘reeducation centres’
Cities are being redeveloped to help Beijing’s development plans for China