What is China like today?


—Since the reforms in 1979, China has grown by leaps and bounds.
—China is now an economic powerhouse, 2nd largest economy in the world
  • China exported $2.1 trillion worth of goods in 2016 compared to the US exported $1.5 trillion worth of goods (US was the 2nd largest)

We have looked at how they reformed their country, but what lies ahead for them.   
Research material is provided below to develop a prediction for the future of China, based on current demographic and urbanization trends.  What issues are they facing and how can they affect the growth of this rising super power?

Instructions:
As a class we will go through each section.  Use the webquest worksheet in your notebook to take notes and collect your thoughts so you can contribute to our discussion.

Xi Jinping- China's President

Xi Jinping took office in March 2013 and is now considered the strongest Chinese leader since Mao Zedong.

In October 2016 the CCP bestowed upon him the title of “core leader,” which previously had been given only to influential party figures Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping, and Jiang Zemin. A year later the CCP voted to enshrine Xi’s name and ideology, described as “thought”, in the party’s constitution, an honor previously awarded only to Mao. In March 2018. a amendment was passed that abolished term limits for the country’s president and vice president; this change would allow Xi to remain in office as long as he wishes.

Watch this video clip about Xi

Complete this section in your notebook

Population 

  1. Watch this video clip to learn about: Population pyramids, Chinese population growth, and challenges China has in terms of population.
  2. Watch this video to see an interview with a family faced with the decision to have another baby.
What is your prediction for China and their population issues?

Economy

Economic Growth 
Since the reforms in 1979, China has grown by leaps and bounds.
China is now an economic powerhouse that has attracted $136 billion of foreign direct investment. 
China now has the 2nd largest economy in the world. 
China exported $2.1 trillion worth of goods in 2016 compared to the US exported $1.5 trillion worth of goods (US was the 2nd largest)

Look at the images below. What do they show about Chinese economy?
But Economic Growth Has Been UnevenWatch this Video Clip
Look at images below and answer the questions in your notebook
*On the last image, you will need to refer to the map image (first one) to determine where the top illiterate providences are.

Technology and China

Watch this video clip & examine the image below to complete this section in your notebook.
Watch this video clip to learn how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) restricts access to the internet

​Read this article to see how young Chinese feel about their internet access

Hong Kong and Taiwan

Hong Kong became a part of the British Empire in 1892 and in 1997 it was returned to China.  Under the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems', Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the China. This arrangement allows the city to enjoy a high degree of autonomy, including retaining its capitalist system, independent judiciary and rule of law, free trade and freedom of speech.
Taiwan and China have a complicated history. The Nationalist fled to Taiwan after the Communist Revolution and have been independent since then. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province which it has vowed to retake, by force if necessary. But Taiwan's leaders say it is clearly much more than a province, arguing that it is a sovereign state. Relations between China and Taiwan started improving in the 1980s. China proposed a formula, known as "one country, two systems", under which Taiwan would be given significant autonomy if it accepted Chinese reunification. The offer was rejected, but Taiwan did relax rules on visits to and investment in China.
Read this article to learn about how China is dealing with these two areas today.

Complete this section in your notebook.

China's Minority Ethnic Groups

—91% of Chinese are ethnic Han
—There are 55 non-Han ethnic groups, which add up to be more than a hundred million citizens (population of Mexico)
The Chinese Government has been criticized for how they have treated some of these minorities, in particular the Tibetans & Uyghurs (Turkic on the map)

Read this article to learn about the current conflict with the Uyghurs

​Complete this section in your notebook

U.S. and China Relationship

China and the US are intertwined economically *please note that this video is a bit biased against Trump, but still has good information
  • Watch the interview and read the transcripts here to learn about the dangers of another Cold War.

China Citizen Perspective

Sources
https://en.portal.santandertrade.com/establish-overseas/china/foreign-investment
http://time.com/4092689/china-one-child-policy-history/
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/china-scales-back-one-child-policy/
https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/11/pollution-crisis-is-choking-the-chinese-economy.html
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-11/china-is-winning-its-war-on-air-pollution-at-least-in-beijing
​https://teachers.1990institute.org/2018-tw-powerpoints/
https://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=3586
​https://www.statista.com/statistics/278568/illiteracy-rate-in-china-by-region/
​https://www.indexmundi.com/china/age_structure.html