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Brief Introduction to China

1. China : The Great Country :

One of the oldest terms for China is “Zhongguo” which means “Middle” ‘Kingdom’ One explanation, sometimes disputed, is that ‘Chinese regarded China as the center of the civilized world , surrounded by barbarians . The English word ‘China’ seems to derive from the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC during which the Great Wall ) was built.

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2. Location

The People Republic of China is situated in eastern Asia on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, with an area of 9.6 million square kilometers, China’s continental coastline extends for about 18,000 kilometers , and its vast sea surface is studded with more than 5,000 islands, of which Taiwan and Hainan are the largest.

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Land Formation and Rives: China’s land drops off in escarpments eastward to the ocean, letting in humid air current and leading many rivers eastward. Among the rivers totaling 220,000 kilometers in length in China , the Changjiang (Yangtze) and the Huanghe ( Yellow) and world known . 

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highlands ,plains, basins, and hills. The highlands and hill regions account for 65 percent of the country ‘s total land mass, and there are more than 2,000 lakes . The highest mountain peak is Qomolangma (Everest) , the highest in the world, 8,848 meters above sea level; the lowest point is the Tupan Basin, 154 meters below sea level.

 

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3. Climate  

China is characterized by a continental climate. The latitude spans nearly 50 degrees. The greater part of the Chinese territory is situated in the Temperate Zone, its southern part in the tropical and subtropical zones , and its northern part near the Frigid Zone. Temperature differ therefore rather strikingly across the country. The northern part of Heilongjiang Province has long winters but no summers ;  

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While the Hainan Island has long summers but no winters. The Huaihe River valley is marked by distinctive seasonal changes, but it is spring all year round in t he south of the Yunnan- Guizhou Plateau. In the northwest hinterland, the temperature changes dramatically. China high tundra zone situated in the Qinghai- Tibet, where the temperature is low in all four season. Some desert areas are dry all year round 

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5. History China , with a recorded history of 5,000 years, is one of the world’s earliest civilizations . In the 21st Century B.C china entered slave society with the funding of the Xia was followed by the Shang and Western Zhou Dynasty, Which encompassed the spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. In 221 B.C Qin Shihuang established China’s first centralized autocracy, the Qin Dynasty thereby ushering Chinese history into feudal –ism, which endured in a succession of dynasties, suchas the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing until the Opium war of 1840  

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4. Resources China abounds in natural resources. It leads the world in many proven mineral deposits; No country in the world boasts more wildlife than China, many of which are native to China, such as giant pands, snub-nosed golden monkey and Chinese alligator; China’s dawn redwood and Cathaya argyrophylla are known as the living fossils of ancients plants . To protect the nation’s native animals and plants especially the endangered species, China has established more than 7000 nature reserves.

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The economy and science and technology were relatively well developed in ancient China. During the Shang Dynasty some 3,000 years ago the Chinese had mastered the art of bronze metallurgy and invented iron implements’ Many distinguished thinkers, scientist , artists and writers came into being. The contributions to world civilizations of ancient china’s four inventions: papermaking , printing ,powder and the compass as well as remarkable achievements in mathematics, medical science, astronomy, agriculture and architecture are universally recognized.

  

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The Bouregeois Democratic Revolution of 1912 led by Sun Yat-sen toppled the rule of the Qing Dynasty put and end to more than 2000 years of feudal monarchical system and culminated in the establishment of the provisional government of the Republic of China .

  

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The People’s Republic of China was founder on October 1,1949. Today, China is implementing reform and opening –up policies, and has established socialist market economy, thereby charting the courses for socialist modernization with Chinese characteristics. Population china as the world’s most populous country, has a population exceeding 1.2 billion, which makes up 22 percent of the world total. To bring population growth under control, the country has followed a family planning policy since the 1970s.  

  

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6. Ethnicity, Religion and Languages

China is a multiracial country with has 56 ethnic groups. The Han People account for 92 percent of the population.

In terms of Religion, China is a multi- religious country, Taoism, Buddhism, Islamism Protestantism and Catholicism have all developed quite a following in this country.

 

    

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Language and Character: Chinese is commonly used in modern China. It is one of the five working languages designated by the United Nations. The majority of the 55 ethnic groups have their own languages . As a written language, Chinese has been used for 6,000 years.

Family Names : The order of Chinese names if family name first. For instances, the family name of a person called Zhang Side is Zhang.  

    

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7. Administrative Units

China is divided into 23 provinces, five autonomous regions, four municipalities under the direct jurisdiction of the central Government and one special administrative region. The 23 provinces are Hebei, Shaanxi,Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi, Guangdong, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and Hainan;. The five autonomous regions are Inner mOnglia, Ningzia , Xinjiang, Guanxi and Tibet; The four municipalities are Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chogqing, Hongkong is the special administrative region.

  

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8. The Capital Beijing is the capital of the People’s Republic of China. It is not only the nation’s political centre but also it cultural, scientific and educational heart and a key transportations hub. Beijing has served as a capital for more than 800 years. The city had many places of historic interest and science beauty, including the imperial Places ( also known as the Forbidden City), the largest and best–preserved ancient architectural complex in the world; the Temple of Heaven, where Ming and Qing emperors performed solemn rituals for bountiful harvests; the Summer Palace, the emperor’s

   

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Solemn rituals for bountiful harvests; the Summer Palace, the emperor’s magnificent garden retreat ; Ming tombs, the stately and majestic mausoleums of the Great Wall. Large- scale construction since the founding for the People’s Republic of China in 1949 has brought great changes to Beijing . Today’s Beijing still retains the alluring fascination of an ancient capital but has added a small forest of skyscrapers and a complete range fo municipal facilities, transforming itself into an attractively modern metropolis, redolent of history.   

   

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9. National Symbols National flag of the People’s Republic of China is red in color, rectangular in shape, with five stars. The proportion between the length and height of the flag is three to two. The five five –pointed yellow stars are located in the upper left corner. One of them, which is bigger, appears on the left, while the other four hem it in on the right.

The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution; the stars take on the yellow color in order to bring out their brightness on the red ground. The largest star represents the CPC, while the four smaller ones, the Chinese people. The relationship between the stars means the great unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the CPC.

    

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10. Chinese Economy For years, there’s been one constant for people talking about the Chinese economy : GDP growth would exceed 8 percent . IT didn’t much matter what happened in the rest of the world- the U.S and other export markets might be thriving or might be struggling, but China would grow at least 8 percent, year in and year out . The country needed to create enough jobs for the millions of young people entering the workforce every year, and the Chinese leadership decided that anything below 8 percent would put job creation in jeopardy. And the policy madders were consistent: The last time China had a growth target below 8 percent, George W. Bush was still in his first term. 

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The magic, 8 percent number through is now history. At his annual address to open the National People’s Congress in Beijing, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on March5 announced that the government has a GDP target of 7.5 percent this year. China hasn’t had a growth target that conservative since 2004. The European debt crisis is one culprit, with demand falling for Chinese exports,. But it’s not just about the Europeans. After years of torrid growth of at least 9 percent, China needs “ Higher quality development over a longer period of time”,

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Wen told lawmakers at the country’s parliament. Economists and investors agree that China in now entering a new era of slower growth, one where the old 8 percent figure I no longer so important.” We think the leaders in Beijing realize that the trend growth in China has to slow down,” Credit Suisse chief regional economist Dong Tao wrote in a March 5 note. Everyone should get accustomed to slower growth.”It’s going to be numbers below 8 that are now more the more common mantra for China,” says Sean Darby, chief global equity strategist in Hong Kong for Jefferies Group. Anything much higher than 8 percent, he adds would “unsustainable:.

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And what about the job –creation imperative that the 8 percent target so critical for so long? China is gong through a major demographic shift, thanks to fast economic growth and the one child policy/ As the population starts to age, job creation for millions of young people isn’t so vital anymore . While China needed 10 million new jobs a year in the early 2000s today it needs just half that number, says Jian Chang, China economist in Hong Kong with Barelays Capital. “ The labor force as a whole is barely growing now.” Says Stephen Green , head of Greater China research for Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong. As a result, Chinese policy makers “ Just don’t need to create as many jobs as they (once) did.  

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Indeed, in some parts of China there’s now a labor shortage as young Chimes workers who once flocked to factories along China’s coast find they don’t need to travel so far from home to find work. That’s one reason local government are raising minimum wages. Last week, the city government of Shanghai and the provincial government of Shandong raised minimum wages part of a nationwide trend to boost take –home pay for Chinese workers.  

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Slower growth and higher wages are two elements of Chinese economy’s new normal . The Chinese will also need to learn to live with higher inflation, says Barclays economist Chang, who expects inflation to average about 5 percent over the next decade, compared with 2 percent over the past 10 years. Since “ they don’t need to worry that much about job creation”, She says, there’s less urgently to subsidize the cost of electricity, water and oil for producers. “ China is changing from this miracle growth to a more normal growth stage,” says Chang.  

 

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The good times were a long, one-off party that followed China’s entry into the World Trade Organization I late 2001, argues Tim Condon, Asia chief economist for ING Financial Markets in Singapore. Over the past decade, he says, China enjoyed a WTO windfall that led to extreme growth. Profits for industrial enterprises soared, going form 4 percent of GDP before WTO entry to 11.8 percent last year. All those profits contributed to a gig increase in savings, with China’s current –account surplus moving from 2 percent before WTO to 9.9 percent in 2007 an d4.4 percent last year.  

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That kind of growth can’t last indefinitely, not even in China, : That economy is normalizing after this extraordinary period,” sys Condon. In the new era of higher costs and slower growth,” It will be painful for some companies,” he says. But having enjoyed a period of 10 fat years with high profits and high savings, the pain won’t be too great” China,” says Condon,” Can afford this.” 

 

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11. Foreign Policy

Foreign policy of the people’s Republic of China guides the way in which it interacts with foreign nations. As a great power and emerging super power, Chain’s foreign policy and strategic thinking is highly influential. China officially states it “ unswervingly pursues an independent foreign policy of peace. The fundamental goals of this policy are to preserve Chain’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, create a favorable international

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environment for China’s reform and opening up and modernization construction, maintain world peace and propel common development.” An example of a foreign policy decision guided by the PRC’s.”Sovereignty and territorial integrity” is its not engaging in diplomatic relations with any country that recognizes the Republic of China ( Taiwan), which the PRC doesn’t recognise as separate nation. China is a member of many international organizations; holding key positions such as a permanent member on the UN Security council. 

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11.1 Institutions of foreign policy 

Like most other nations , China’s foreign policy is carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . However, the Foreign Affairs Ministry is subordinate to the Affairs Leading small Group of the Communist Party of China, which decides on policy-making.

Unlike most other nations, much of Chinese foreign policy is formulated in think tanks sponsored and supervised by but formally outside of the government.   

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One distinctive aspect of Sino- American relations is that much of the foreign policy discussion takes place between interlocutors who form the think tanks. Because these discussions are unofficial, they are generally more free and less restricted than discussions between government officials. China is also distinctive for having a separate body of Chinese strategic thought and theory of international relations which is distinct from western theory.   

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12. History of foreign policy 

Since its establishment, the People’s Republic of China has worked vigorously to win international support for its positions that it is the sole legitimate government of all china, including Hong Kong. The Republic of China government in Taipei was recognized diplomatically by most world powers and the UN. After the Beijing government assumed the China seat in the United Nations in 1971 ( and the Taiwan government was expelled) and became increasingly more significant as a global player, most nations switched diplomatic relations from the Republic of china to People’s Republic of China, Japan established diplomatic relations with the PRC in 1972,

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following the Joint communiqué of the Government of Japan and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and the United states did so in 1979. The number of courtiers that have established diplomatic relations with Beijing has risen to 171, while 23 maintain diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (or Taiwan). Both of the PRC and ROC make it a prerequisite for diplomatic relations that a county does not recognize and conduct any official relations with the other party.

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 After its founding, the PRC’s foreign policy initially focused on its solidarity with the Soviet Union, the Eastern Bloc nations, and other communist countries, sealed with, among other agreements, the Sino-Soviet treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance signed in 1950 to oppose China’s chief antagonists, the west and in particular the United states, South Korea, and United Nations( UN) forces has long been a reason for bitter feelings. After the conclusion of the Korean War, China sought to balance its identification as a member of the Soviet bloc by establishing friendly relations with Pakistan and other Third World countries,, particularly in Southeast Asia.By the late 1950s, relations between china and Soviet Union had become so divisive that in 1960,

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the Soviets unilaterally withdrew their advisers from China. The two then began to vie for allegiances among the developing world nations, for China saw itself as a natural champion through its role in the Non- Aligned Movement and its numerous bilateral and bi-party ties. In the 1960s, Beijing competed with competed with Moscow for political influence among communist parties and in the developing world generally. In 1962, China had a brief war with India over a border dispute . By 1969, relations with Moscow were so tense that fighting erupted along their common border. Following the 1968 Soviet

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invasion of Czechoslovakia and clashes in 1969 on the Sino Soviet border, Chinese completion with Soviet Union increasingly reflected concern over China’s own strategic position. China then lessened its anti –Western rhetoric and began developing formal diplomatic relations with West Europeans.Around the same time, in 1971 that Beijing succeeded in gaining China’s seat in the UN ( thus ousting the Republic of China on Taiwan), relations with the United States began to thaw. In 1972, President Richard M. Nixon visited china. Formal diplomatic relations were established in 1978, and the two nations have experienced more than a quarter century of varying degrees of amiable or wary relations over such contentious issues as Taiwan, trade balances, intellectual property rights, nuclear proliferation and human rights.

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In late 1978, The Chinese also became concerned over Vietnam’s efforts to establish open control over Laos and Cambodia. In response to the Soviet backed Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia, China fought a war with Vietnam ( February-March 1979)

Chinese anxiety about Soviet strategic advances was heightened following the Soviet Union’s December 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. Sharp differences between china and the Soviet Union persisted over Soviet support for Vietnam’s continued occupation of Cambodia, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Soviet troops along the Sion- Soviet border and in Mongolia the so-called” three obstacles” to improved Sino Sino –Soviet relations. 

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In the 1970s and 1980s, China sought to create a secure regional and global environment for itself and to foster good relations with countries that could aid its economic development. During the reign of Mao, China was a closed country. After his death, authorities took the reformers led by Deng Xiaoping. In 1983 President of China becomes 74 years old Li Xiannian, one of the longest serving politicians in the leadership of china. He visited many countries and thus began opening China to the world. Li Xiannian was the first president of China, who visited the United States in 1985 Li also visited North Korea. In 1986 Queen Elizabeth II arrived in official visit to China. To this end , China looked to the West for assistance with its modernizations drive and for help in countering Soviet expansionism, which it characterized as the greatest threat to its national security and to world peace.

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China maintained its consistent opposition to “ superpower hegemonism”, focusing almost exclusively on the expansionist actions of the Soviet Union and soviet proxies such as Vietnam and Cuba, but it also placed growing emphasis on a foreign policy independent of both the U.S and the Soviet Union. While improving ties with the west, China continued to closely follow the political and economic positions of the Third World Non–Aligned Movement, although China was not a formal member. 

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In the immediate aftermath of Tiananmen crackdown in June 1989, Many countries reduced their diplomatic contacts with China as well as their economic assistance programs . In response, China worked vigorously to expand its relations with foreign countries , and by late 1990s,had reestablished normal relations with almost all nations. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991, China also opened diplomatic relations with the republics of the former Soviet Union. 

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13. China's Security

Even while embroiled in the problems of territorial dispute with its neighbors and the dangers of periodic tensions on the Korean Peninsula and across the Taiwan Strait, China perceives the United States as its major threat . Beijing believes that the United States still maintains its cold War policy toward China and the Asia- Pacific region and stresses ideological differences and their relationship to security issues of concern in the region. In China’s view, Washington’s attitude exacerbates tensions, which, in turn, lead to international turmoil. Post.   

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Thank You