Understanding Contemporary China

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Understanding Contemporary China

• Professor WANG Guo-An (Andrew)
• Vice Director, International Affairs Office
• Zhejiang Gongshang UniversityNo.149, Jiao Gong
  Rd. Hangzhou 310035 ChinaMobile136-0051-6079
  86-571-28877313 (office)Fax [phone]
  88846798  28008050E-mail International_at_mail.zjgs
  u.edu.cn
• Alternative e-mail tradelaw_at_hzcnc.com
• www.zjgsu.edu.cn/english/eindex.phphttp//econet.
  zjgsu.edu.cn/andrew.wang/index2.htm

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Some facts about China

• Over 5000 history ( 4 great inventions compass,
  printing, explosives and paper-making )
• No. 3 trading power
• The third largest in area
• To hold the Olympic Games in 2008
• The largest foreign exchange reserves
• Close economic ties with ASEAN, FTA in 2010
• One of five members in the UN Security Council
• The largest population, accounting for more than
  one fifth of the world population
• The most rapidly growing economy, annual growth
  rate of 9.3 since 1978
• The biggest trading partner for most of the Asian
  countries and the major trading partner for most
  of the economic powers in the world
• The largest FDI recipient among developing
  countries for the last 15 years
• The active member in Shanghai Cooperation
  Organization (SCO)
• Launched a spaceship in 2003 and 2005

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Map of China
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1. Location

• 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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2. Land Formation and Rivers

• 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)
  are world known.

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• China has beautiful scenery, with mountains and
  ranges, 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, 8,844.43 ( released on Oct.9,2005,
  formerly 8848) meters above sea level the lowest
  point is the Turpan 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. Temperatures differ therefore
  rather strikingly across the country. The
  northern part of Heilongjiang Province has long
  winters but no summers while the Hainan Island
  has long summers but no winters.

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• The Huaihe River valley is marked by distinctive
  seasonal changes, but it is spring all year round
  in the south of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. In
  the northwest hinterland, the temperature changes
  dramatically. China is high tundra zone is
  situated in the Qinghai-Tibet, where the
  temperature is low in all four seasons. Some
  desert areas are dry all year round.

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4. Population

• China, as the word's most populous country, has a
  population exceeding 1.3 billion, which makes up
  22 percent of the world total. It is concentrated
  in the east and south of China. To bring
  population growth under control, the country has
  followed a family planning policy since the
  1970s. We have adopted the one-child policy since
  late 1970s.

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5. Ethnic Groups (Chinese Minorities)

• China is a multiracial country with 56 ethnic
  groups,,The Han people account for 92 percent of
  the population. No matter how big or small the
  population is, all peoples share equal rights.

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6. Religion

• China is a multi-religious country. Taoism,
  Buddhism, Islamism, Protestantism and Catholicism
  have all developed quite a lot in this country.
  Freedom of belief is a government policy, and
  normal religious activities are protected by the
  constitution.

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7. Administrative Units

• China is divided into 35 administrative regions.
  They are 23 provinces, five autonomous regions,
  four municipalities under the direct jurisdiction
  of the Central Government, two special
  administrative regions and Taiwan. The four
  municipalities are Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin,
  and Chongqing Hong Kong and Macao are the
  special administrative regions. Taiwan is to be
  reunited with the mainland of China.

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8. Capital

• Beijing is the capital of the People's Republic
  of China. A center for politics, economy and
  culture, Beijing has been developed into a
  world-class metropolis in which the modern world
  is blended harmoniously with the glory of an
  imperial past.

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9. Tourist Attractions

• Beijing
• Shanghai
• Guangzhou
• Xian
• Hangzhou
• Suzhou
• Guilin
• Yellow Mountain
• Zhangjiajie in Hunan......

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10. History

• More than 5000 years.
• Chinas ancient scientific contributions to the
  world four great inventions, namely, compass,
  printing, explosives and paper making.

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11.Culture

• The Chinese culture is the dominating culture in
  East Asia and Confucianism has had great
  influence in East Asia and southeast Asian
  countries.

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12. Language

• Chinese language official
• Spoken Mandarin/putonghua, Cantonese
  and other many dialects
• Written Chinese characters are over 3000
  years old, Simplified, traditional)
• Foreign languages English, Japanese and Russian

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Education

• Preschool
• Elementary school
• Junior high school (compulsory)
• Senior high school
• University (bachelor, master, Ph.D.)

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13. Opening policies and Reform ( 1978-now)

• Chinese students who studied abroad during
  1978-2005 reached 933400,but only 232900 (25)
  returned to China.
• International students studying in China over
  160,000 in 2006
• Foreign direct investment in China the biggest
  recipient of FDI among the developing
  countries for the last 15 years.
• Foreign-invested enterprises 508,941
• Over 400 of 500 biggest transnational
  corporations invested in China and about 30 of
  them have established or moved their
  head-quarters to China.
• Contracted FDI US1096.608billion
• Actually utilized FDI US562.101billion
• 86 of FDI is in the east and southeast regions

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• 9.3 annual economic growth during the last 28
  years
• No. 3 trading power in the world, its trade
  volume amounted to US1422.12 billion in 2005
  and maintained the trade surplus value reaching
  as much as US177.5 billion
• China WTO entry on December 11, 2001
• Olympic Games to be held in Beijing in 2008
• Manned spaceship in 2003 and 2005
• Foreign exchange reserves amounted to US875.1 by
  March 2006, No. 1 in the world
• Womens increase in their social status

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13. The Trade Relations with its major trading
partners
In 2005 China exported its products mainly
to USA EU Hong Kong Japan ASEAN South
Korea Taiwan Russia Canada Australia In 2005
China imported products mainly from Japan South
Korea ASEAN Taiwan EU USA Australia Russia Saudi
Arab Hong Kong
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14. The Trade Relations and Trade Frictions
between China and the USA

• Since 1997, 12.5 growth every year
• More than one quarter of the Chinese exports are
  sold to the USA.
• Chinas trade surplus value with the USA amounted
  to more than US140 billion 60 of
  made-in-China products are made by US companies
  in China. Profits belong to the USA while the
  trade surplus value is in China.
• Antidumping measures against Chinese products
• The exchange rate between the Chinese currency
  RMB Yuan and the US dollar

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15. Chinas problems

• (1) The increasing contrast between the rich and
  the poor, the sharpening economic differences
  between the east and the west
• (2) The worsening environment
• (3) The official corruption
• (4) The large population

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16. Your questions are welcome
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Thanks for your attention!