Difference between revisions of "China"
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= | = Background = | ||
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, yet political controls remain tight. China since the early 1990s has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations.<br> | |||
= Populaton: = | |||
Today, China's population is over 1.3 billion, the largest in the world (19.5% of world population[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_population]). China plans to conduct its sixth national population census in 2010. According to CIA World Factbook 2010,[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html#People], China's population will be over 1.4 billion. However, China now has an increasingly aging population because of "one child" policy; it is projected that 11.8% of the population in 2020 will be 65 years of age and older. Besides, India's population might overtake China's population in 2030. [http://trak.in/tags/business/2007/05/24/india-and-china-population-a-blessing-in-disguise/]<br><br> | |||
[[File:China population.jpeg]]<br> | |||
= Economy = | |||
China's economy during the past 20 years has changed from a centrally planned system that was largely closed to international trade to a more market-oriented economy that has a rapidly growing private sector and is a major player in the global economy. <br><br> | |||
FDI in China has been one of the major successes of the past 3 decades. Starting from a baseline of less than $19 billion just 20 years ago, FDI in China has grown to over $300 billion in the first 10 years. The Chinese continue to steamroll with expectations that economic growth will be 10% this year.[http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/12/15/china-foreign-investment.html]<br><br> | |||
China has generally implemented reforms in a gradualist or piecemeal fashion. In recent years, China has re-invigorated its support for leading state-owned enterprises in sectors it considers important to "economic security," explicitly looking to foster globally competitive national champions. After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, China in July 2005 revalued its currency by 2.1% against the US dollar and moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. Cumulative appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar since the end of the dollar peg was more than 20% by late 2008, but the exchange rate has remained virtually pegged since the onset of the global financial crisis. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978.<br><br> | |||
Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2009 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, although in per capita terms the country is still lower middle-income.<br><br> | |||
In 2009, the global economic downturn reduced foreign demand for Chinese exports for the first time in many years. The government vowed to continue reforming the economy and emphasized the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make China less dependent on foreign exports for GDP growth in the future.<br> | |||
= China in the international stage = | |||
== UN == | |||
The UN officially came into existence on 24 October 1945 upon ratification of the Charter by the first five permanent members of the Security CouncilFrance, the Republic of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United Statesand by a majority of the other 46 signatories.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations#History]<br><br> | |||
However, China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council has been occupied by the People's Republic of China (PRC) since October 25, 1971. The representatives of the PRC first attended the UN, including the United Nations Security Council, as China's representatives on November 23, 1971.<br><br> | |||
Since the end of the Cold War, the PRC has notably not attempted to use the UN as a counterbalance against the United States as Russia and France have done. In the 1991 Gulf War resolution, the PRC abstained, and it voted for the ultimatum to Iraq in the period leading up to the Second Gulf War. Most observers believe that the PRC would have abstained had a resolution authorising force against Iraq in 2003 reached the Security Council.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_and_the_United_Nations#The_People.27s_Republic_of_China_in_the_UN]<br><br> | |||
In human rights issues, the PRC has been increasingly successful at maintaining their positions, although China used try to cover the truth of "Tiananmen Square protests of 1989" in order to prevent the blame from the world.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989] In 1995, they won 43 percent of the votes in the General Assembly; by 2006 they won 82 percent.<br><br> | |||
== | == WTO == | ||
With its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on December 11, 2001, China became one of the last major trading nations to join that organization. And the message to the world was clear: China is prepared to become a fully vested player in the global economy. WTO membership will generate tremendous benefits for China -- expanding trade, spearheading further economic reform, attracting even higher levels of foreign investment, and fostering the rule of law.[http://www.chinese-culture.net/html/china_wto.html] In conclusion, after China became a member of WTO, the economic growth boosted up in a dramatically speed. With the impressive economic growth performance, especially in the down trend of 2009, China's power in WTO become more and more important than ever.<br> | |||
= China's climate change policy = | |||
In 2006, China announced that by 2010 it would decrease energy intensity 20% from 2005 levels. <BR><BR> | |||
In 2009, China announced that by 2020 it would reduce carbon intensity 40% from 2005 levels.<br><BR> | |||
The Chinese government seeks to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, and is focusing on nuclear and other alternative energy development. <br> | |||
== Web Resources | = Examples of China's ambition = | ||
Beijing has the infrastructure and facilities for hosting the 2008 Olympiad. The city has modernized infrastructures of telecommunications, transport,accommodation and other services. <br><br> | |||
China wants to further proof of its rising global influence through holding EXPO 2010 in Shanghai.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8653426.stm]<br><br> | |||
On the issue of climate change, Beijing has established an alliance with Brazil, South Africa and India (theBASIC countries). India and China have long cooperated on global environmental negotiations (at least dating back to the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer in the late 1980s).With the addition of Brazil and South Africa, and perhaps Indonesia, which will be participating in the April BASIC meeting in Cape Town, China has established a broader and more formal negotiating entity. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BASIC_countries] <br><br> | |||
China Surpasses U.S. in Renewable Energy Investments[http://www.tableausoftware.com/blog/china-and-renewable-energy][http://www.renewable-energy-news.info/china-surpasses-united-states-renewable-energy-investments/][http://apolloalliance.org/blog/?tag=surface-transportation-authorization-bill]<br><br> | |||
= System diagram = | |||
[[File:Systems_China.JPG|300px|thumb|none|China]] | |||
= Web Resources = | |||
[http://www.scenariothinking.org/wiki/index.php/Future_of_China_in_2030 Future of China in 2030]<br> | |||
[http://www.chinatoday.com/ Chinatoday]<br> | |||
[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html#People The World Factbook]<br> | |||
[http://www.cbd.int/impact/case- | |||
[http://www.princeton.edu/~gchow/WTO.pdf China and WTO]<BR> | |||
[http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/26947/ China's ambition]<br> | |||
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8653426.stm China opens World Expo 2010 in Shanghai]<br> | |||
[http://apolloalliance.org/blog/?tag=surface-transportation-authorization-bill China in the Lead]<br> | |||