Government Documents on China

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Government Documents on China

• University of Michigan Theme Semester
• 2007/2008

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Graduate Library Documents Center
Exhibit prepared by Ash E. Brown Ray C.
Walling Alex Watson Grace York
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Library Collection

• The University Library is a depository for the
  official publications of the United States
  government, Michigan, Canada, United Nations,
  Food and Agriculture Organization, and Asian
  Development Bank.
• It purchases publications from Great Britain and
  numerous international agencies.
• Most governments publish information about China,
  especially on foreign relations, trade, natural
  resources, and health.
• Presentation Bookmarks

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CONGRESSIONAL SERIAL SET Commodore Matthew Perry
conducted a major expedition of China and Japan,
1852-1854, by sailing from the western hemisphere
to the eastern hemisphere. His detailed report
of the culture and natural life of both countries
appears in the Congressional Serial Set. The
series currently includes House and Senate
reports, but served as a vehicle for most
Executive Branch publications during the 19th
Century. The University Library owns copies in
paper, on microfiche, and online through LEXIS
Congressional (http//web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp
/).
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CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Madame Chiang Kai-Shek
became the first Chinese national and second
woman to address the United States Congress on
February 18, 1943. The Congressional Record
and its predecessors date back to 1774. They
provide the text of debates on the floor of
Congress. The Graduate Library's primary
collection is in paper (J 11.R), although some of
the newest issues are also available online
through LEXIS Congressional (1985)
(http//web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/) and THOMAS
(1993) (http//thomas.loc.gov/).
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CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS Congressional committees
hold hundreds of hearings per year in which
experts, members of the Executive Branch, and
lobbyists are called to testify. Hearings on
China often concern foreign policy, trade, and
human rights. All hearings are available on
microfiche and most in paper copy. They are
indexed since 1834 by LEXIS Congressional
(http//web.lexis-nexis.com/congcomp/), a
commercial web product. The Michigan
Digitization Project is using Googles program to
make older hearings available on the web free to
the public using MIRLYN (http//mirlyn.lib.umich.e
du/) as an index.
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PUBLIC PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS Richard Nixon
eased trade restrictions with the Peoples
Republic of China and, in 1972, was the first
United States President to visit the country
under communist rule. Public Papers of the
Presidents is an annual compilation of
presidential speeches, news conferences,
appointments and bill signings. The Library owns
the paper copy (J 80 .A25), and the University of
Michigan Digital Library has created the official
retrospective version for the U.S. Government
Printing Office (http//quod.lib.umich.edu/p/ppotp
us/).
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MILITARY STRATEGY SARs, three Iraqi Wars, and the
Tiananmen Square Massacre are among many issues
that have been analyzed by the military. Chinese
National Security Decisionmaking under Stress
(UA 835 .C64 2005) consists of papers published
after the conference Chinese Crisis Management
held at the U.S. Army War College in September
2004. This publication is also available online
(http//www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdf
files/pub623.pdf).
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FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES The second
Sino-Japanese War began in 1937 and ended with
World War II in 1945. One cable from Chiang
Kai-Shek, dated October 16, 1938, complains to
President Roosevelt about the increase in
Japanese military activity. Foreign Relations of
the United States contains the text of diplomatic
correspondence declassified after 28 years. The
complete set is available in paper in the
Graduate Library (JX 233.A3). Volumes for
1861-1960 have been digitized by the University
of Wisconsin (http//digicoll.library.wisc.edu/FRU
S/) and 1945 by the State Department
(http//www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/c1716.htm).
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NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ESTIMATES In 1950, China
experienced a severe drought and famine. The
National Intelligence Council believed (at the
time) that the famine would have implications on
support for the treaty signed with the Soviets
the previous year. Tracking the Dragon (DS
777.555 .U55 2004) is a collection of National
Intelligence Estimates spanning the Mao period,
including the Chinese Civil War and Cultural
Revolution. Additionally, the CIA has also
published its China intelligence estimates which
are available online (http//www.foia.cia.gov/nic_
china_collection.asp). Other declassified
materials are available on campus through the
Digital National Security Archives
(http//nsarchive.chadwyck.com/) and Declassified
Documents (http//infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/umu
ser?dbDDRS).
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HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTS When the Beijing was awarded
the 2008 Olympics, many countries raised concerns
about the Chinese governments continued
violations of human rights. Country Reports on
Human Rights Practices (Doc. Cen. Y 4.In
8/16-15) is a long-standing annual compilation
issued by the State Department and published by
Congress. It analyzes torture, repression, the
judicial system, and treatment of women in
individual nations. Copies are also available on
the web (http//www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/).
There are also two companion reports
International Religious Freedom Report
(http//www.state.gov/g/drl/irf/rpt/) and Country
Reports on Terrorism (http//www.state.gov/s/ct/rl
s/crt/).
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STATE DEPARTMENT POLICY In June of 2004, the U.S.
Department of State released a report on
Chinese-Tibetan relations. While negotiations
between the two parties have improved over the
years, Chinese inability to work out a resolution
with the Dalai Lama has lead to economic and
political ramifications with the rest of the
world. The State Departments current web page
(http//www.state.gov/p/eap/ci/ch/) links to
policy documents on China as well as documents on
human rights, terrorism, and background notes on
most countries in the world.
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TRAVEL HEALTH Currently, travelers heading to
China are being advised to take precautions to
prevent the onset of Measles/Mumps and the
transfer of Avian Influenza. The Centers for
Disease Control provides travel health
information for China on its web site
(http//wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationChina.aspx)
.
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION The International
Trade Commission concluded in 1996 that Chinese
bicycles dont materially damage the U.S. bicycle
manufacturing industry. Bicycles from China (HF
1756 .A456B) is one of a series of reports on
individual products imported by the United States
from various countries. Many of these reports are
now available on the web (http//www.usitc.gov/).
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION The
International Trade Administration assists U.S.
exporters by preparing commercial guides to doing
business in other countries and makes assessments
of different products. The material is available
through STAT-USA (http//www.stat-usa.gov/), one
of the very few federal websites for which a
subscription is required. The Documents Center
in the Graduate Library has free password access
through the Federal Depository Program.
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MINERALS YEARBOOK Chinas largest mineral export
is coal, almost 87 million metric tons in 2004.
Unfortunately, there are 6000 coal mining deaths
each year. The United States Geological Surveys
Minerals Yearbook (TN 23 .U582) covers United
States reserves, production, and prices but
includes chapters on the mineral industries in
the largest countries. It is also available on
the web (http//minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/my
b.html).
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
According to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the Great Wall of China is
barely, if at all, visible with the naked eye
from the International Space Station. However,
it does show on radar images and may show in
photographs using special lenses. NASA is a
prolific publisher of technical reports and
photographs. Its current web site
(http//www.nasa.gov/ ) helps space buffs follow
individual missions.
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U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Many of
the recent Chinese product recalls were made on a
voluntary basis by distributors in the United
States. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety
Commission is working closely with its Chinese
counterpart to resolve the problems with a
Memorandum of Understanding dated August 10, 2007
and a joint product safety conference on
September 11, 2007.
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WORLD NEWS CONNECTION On July 10, 2007, the
former Food and Drug Chief of China was executed
for corruption. The execution is part of an
ongoing battle of the Chinese government to
maintain legitimacy and crack down on
corruption. The CIAs World News Connection
translates foreign news of U.S. strategic
importance to English on a daily basis. The
reports since 1994 are available on campus
through the World News Connection
(http//wnc.dialog.com/) Reports between 1958
and 1996 are available on microfilm or microfiche
under the title the Foreign Broadcast Information
Service.
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS COUNTRY STUDIES In 1949, the
Chinese government encouraged its people to build
personal savings accounts. In 1986, these savings
for the entire country totaled nearly Y223.7
billion. Originally known as Army Area
Handbooks, the Library of Congress Country
Studies are essentially textbooks about
individual nations. They include sections on
history, culture, economics, foreign relations
and national defense. The most recent China
Country Study is available in paper (DS 706
.C4891 1988) in the Graduate Library and on the
web (http//lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cntoc.html).
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SMITHSONIAN MUSEUMS Tian Tian (b. August 27,
1997) and Mei Xiang (b. July 22, 1998), were born
in Wolong, China, and arrived at the National Zoo
on December 6, 2000. Mei Xiang gave birth to
their first son, Tai Shan, on July 9, 2005. The
National Zoo and its parent, the Smithsonian
Institution, are government agencies. Their
publications, however, are funded privately and
not distributed through the Federal Depository
Library Program.
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GOOGLE U.S. GOVERNMENT SEARCH About 90 of all
federal government documents have been issued on
the internet since 2000. The simplest way to
search them is Googles Government search engine
(http//www.google.com/ig/usgov).
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BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS Great Britain's
treaty with Hong Kong in 1898 expanded its rental
territory to include Kowloon. Hong Kong reverted
to China on July 1, 1997. British Parliamentary
Papers date back to 1731. The series includes
bills before Parliament as well as Parliamentary
reports, treaties, investigations, and colonial
post reports. They are available to the
University Library in a combination of print,
microfiche or electronic formats and indexed on
campus by the House of Commons Parliamentary
Papers (http//parlipapers.chadwyck.com/home.do).
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BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS The second
Sino-Japanese War began informally in 1931.
Residents of Shanghai protested the Japanese
beating of five Chinese monks and burning the
Sanyou Towel Factory. Even though the Mayor of
Shanghai agreed to all Japanese demands to end
the rebellion on January 28, 1932, Japanese
forces attacked the city that evening. This
British Parliamentary paper (J 301 .K6) described
the event for the League of Nations, which
attempted to broker a ceasefire.
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UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RECORDS The
Nationalist Government of Chiang Kai-Shek was
admitted to the United Nations on October 24,
1945. General Assembly Resolution 2758 (26
Session, 1971) recognized the People's Republic
of China, added the PRC as a member of the
Security Council, and expelled the Chiang
government (Taiwan) from representation. The
representative from Uganda argued in favor of
admitting the People's Republic of China to the
United Nations so China could participate in arms
control agreements. United Nations General
Assembly records are often used by model UN
debaters because they translate the text of a
country's statement into English.
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UNITED NATIONS FULL TEXT ON THE WEB On September
12, 2001 a Chinese government representative
expressed condolences about the terrorist attacks
in the United States the day before. United
Nations documents since 1993 are now free to the
public on the web through the UN Official
Documents System (http//documents.un.org/).
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UNITED NATIONS REPORTS The United Nations
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination
Against Women requests annual reports for
individual nations on their progress. This
particular report (CEDAW/C/CHN/4-5/Add.1),
submitted by China, covers the Hong Kong
Administrative Region. These draft UN documents
appear in paper or microfiche in the Documents
Center many since 1993 are also available
through the UN Official Documents System
(http//documents.un.org/).
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UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND
CULTURAL ORGANIZATION Of Chinas one hundred art
organizations in 1983 that focused on research
and exhibition, all one hundred were state
owned. The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization publishes annual
statistics on education, research and
development, publishing, and broadcasting for
individual countries. The most recent versions
are only available on its web site
(http//stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/do
cument.aspx?ReportId143IF_Languageeng). UNESCO
also issues special studies such as Cultural
Policy in the Peoples Republic of China (DS 724
.B17).
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FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED
NATIONS According to the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations, the
elimination of famine in China can be attributed
to three principles self-sufficiency, basic
needs, and agricultural growth. Learning from
China A Report on Agriculture and the Chinese
Peoples Communes (HD 2097 .F661) reports a study
mission conducted by the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations in 1975. Many
FAO reports are now on the web (http//www.fao.org
/).
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The World Health Organization According to the
World Health Organization, the Chinese spent
approximately 4.7 of their GDP on health
expenditures in 2004 (compared to 15.4 in the
United States). The World Health Organization
web site provides overall statistics on health
and health care in China (http//www.who.int/count
ries/chn/en/). Additional data on morbidity and
mortality appears in the WHOIS database
(http//www.who.int/whosis/database/core/core_sele
ct.cfm). Printed reports from the World Health
Organization are located in the Public Health
Library.
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UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM China prizes
its children. Ninety-seven percent of all births
have skilled personnel in attendance.
Comparatively few babies are under weight, under
length, or malnourished. The Human Development
Report (HD 72 .H92), issued by the United Nations
Development Program, provides a vast array of
comparative social statistics for individual
countries. The report and its statistics also
appear on the UNDP web site (http//hdr.undp.org/)
.
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THE WORLD BANK Did you know that the national
poverty rate in China is only 2.6? The Worlds
Bank World Development Indicators (HC 59.15
.W6561) compares the economies of the world in
United States dollars. Subjects cover imports
and exports, balance of payments, gross domestic
product, government finances, and stock markets.
It includes social indicators from other United
Nations agencies, among them health, poverty, and
pollution. It is also available online through a
campus portal (http//devdata.worldbank.org/dataon
line/)
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WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION The Peoples Republic of
China joined the World Trade Organization on
December 11, 2001. This first WTO Trade Policy
Review (HF 1604 .T734) sites Chinas success in
structural reforms and poverty reduction, but
suggests it may need to expand employment in the
service sector. Chinas involvement in the WTO is
documented on the web (http//www.wto.org/english/
thewto_e/countries_e/china_e.htm).
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ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK The Asian Development Bank
is an international agency that tackles economics
and poverty, infrastructure, health, energy, and
environmental concerns. China is a member, and
the University of Michigan Library is a
depository for its publications. Illustrated is
Asia Least Cost Gas Abatement Strategy Peoples
Republic of China (TD 885.5 G73 A85). Many of
the ADB publications are listed in MIRLYN and
also on the web (http//www.adb.org/).
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CHINESE STATISTICAL YEARBOOK Chinese exports in
2005 were worth nearly 761,953,000,000 U.S.
Dollars. The Chinese Statistical Yearbook (Doc.
Cen. HA 4631 .S832), issued in English and
Chinese, is a treasure trove of national and
regional information, including natural resources
and weather, economics, employment, construction,
foreign trade, tourism, and education.
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CHINESE GOVERNMENT WEB SITE The Chinese
Government has an extensive web site in English
as well as Chinese. It includes white papers as
well as news and Chinese law. (http//english.gov
.cn/)
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2008 OLYMPICS WEBSITE And, of course, China is
counting down to the Summer Olympics, beginning
August 8, 2008. Its web site (http//en.beijing20
08.cn/) includes the latest news on the opening
and closing ceremonies and winners from previous
Olympics.
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Locating Government Documents
Although most government documents are listed in
MIRLYN, there are times when it is so much easier
to ask a member of the Documents staff for help.
Staff sporting temporary federal depository
library tattoos
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Getting Help
Documents Center 203 Hatcher Library North (734)
764-0410 govdocs_at_umich.edu http//www.lib.umich.
edu/govdocs