China and its Global Importance

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China Program Orientation (1)

• China and its Global Importance

Presented by Dr. Keqian Xu
Deputy Director and Visiting Professor Confucius
Institute at NCSU March 10, 2009, at Erdahl-Cloyd
Theater
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• Why is China important in your life?
• What changes have occurred in China in the past
  30 yrs?
• What does modern China look like?
• How does Confucian ideology affect China?

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Why is China important in your life?Why
understanding China and Chinese culture is so
important to American students?
On a flat map of the World, China,Us,look like
two pivots of the world
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• The importance of knowing China and Chinese
  culture is not something new!

"Let China sleep, for when she wakes the world
will shake" Napoleon Bonaparte
Yellow Peril ? ? ?
Threat to the West or Model for the Rest ?
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A vast territory nearly 9.6 million sq.Km. !
Ranked No.4 in the world.
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1.3 billion of population 56 ethnic
nationalities! (23 of world population,
undoubtedly the number one country in the World
in terms of demography)
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More than 5000 years of non
interrupted history!
For many centuries, China was the leading
civilianization in the World.
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• Many great innovations and contributions to human
  civilization!

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• Brilliant creation in literature, art and many
  other aspects of human life

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• Important contribution to the treasury of
  philosophy and spirituality of Humankind!

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• Joseph Needham
• Science and Civilization in China
• 7 Volumes (24 Subsets)

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When China Ruled the Seas
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• The Opium War
• 1839-1842 and 1856-1860 respectively

Chinas substantial decline was something only
happened after mid 19th centurys Opium War,
although it was already on the downgrade as early
as 18 century or even earlier, when the
industrial revolution was initiated in Europe.
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• 1911, Over through the Qing Dynasty and the
  establishment of the Republic of China

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1949, establishing of the Peoples Republic of
China
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1978 - Opening and Reforming

• Between 1978 and 2002, China's annual GDP
  growth reached 9.4, three times the world's
  average, and in recent years (2001-2004) China
  accounted for one third of global economic
  growth.

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What changes have occurred in China in the past
30 yrs?
From 1978 to 2007, GDP increased 67times, now
ranked number 3 in the world. foreign exchange
reserve from 0.167 billion to 1.5 trillion, now
ranked number one in the world. Per capital GDP
from 379 yuan to18,700yuan. More than 230 million
people have shaked off poverty?
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According to Angus Maddison Chinas Position in
the World GDP()
Angus MaddisonThe World Economy A Millennial
Perspective ???????.??????????
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The GDP Growth Rate of China and the World
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• Chinas continuing and sustainable rising
  means that there is a new engine for world
  economy, providing many chances for anyone who
  can take those chances.

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Economic reform since 1979

• Less government control
• Encourage non state owned (private) economy
• Encourage foreign investment
• Expand international trade
• Market economy.

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• China now produces two thirds of the
  world's photocopiers, shoes, toys, and microwave
  ovens, half of its DVD players, digital cameras,
  cement, and textiles, 40 percent of its socks,
  one third of its DVD-ROM drives and desktop
  computers, a fourth of its mobile telephones, TV
  sets, steel, car stereos, and so on. It exports
  30 percent of the world's electronic goods.

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• China is an immense market for American
  goods and services, and a vital supplier to
  American manufacturers and consumers.

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• More than one fifth (23) of the world
  population, who has been poor and weak for
  centuries, now have gotten a much better life.

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• 1978-2006 1,067,000 Chinese Students went to
  study abroad. One of every 7 foreign students who
  are studying in a country rather than his/her own
  home country is a Chinese student. US is still
  the number one destination of these students.

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• US-China relation is the most important
  international relation in the 21th century.

The rise of China presents new economic,
political and social realities that demand
greater U.S. engagement at every level.
Containment Engagement
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• China s political importance.
  Collaboration with China is increasingly deemed
  essential for solving a range of global issues.

G8? G20? G2?
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• Various different opinions about China

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What does modern China look like?
Shanghai
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What does modern China look like?

• You will use your own eyes to view
• Historical and dynamic view
• Holistic and over-round view
• Relative and comparative view.

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• Give up Cold War thinking and ideology
  stereotype.

• Imperialist" US vs. Communist China?
• Capitalism vs. Socialism?
• Democracy vs." Dictatorship?
• Without a close look at the real situation and a
  comprehension of the particular context, these
  terms are meaningless.

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Communist China?

• Officially
• Primitive stage of socialism
• Socialism with Chinese features
• Socialist market economy

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Dont Exaggerate Chinas Power2006 GDP
Comparison (US)
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Still a developing CountryFar away from
becoming a threat to anyone.

• Despite the rapid development in the past
  decades, China remains a low-income, developing
  country because it must support a huge population
  of more than 1.3 billion.

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• Some Chinese experts believe that,
  considering the GDP per capital and the general
  economic structural chronicle differences, China
  still drops 100 years behind USA, 80 years behind
  German, 50 years behind Japan!

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• Chinas annual military expenditure is only
  1/10 of that of US.

Chinas GDP is 1/5 of that of US, but the annual
military expenditure is only about 1/10 (next
year 12) of that of US. Chinas GDP surpassed
Japan only in last year.
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• Chinese experts also believe that,
  even Chinese economy can keep an increasing rate
  of 8-9 annually, China still needs at least 50
  years to reach the average developing level of
  those developed countries have already reached in
  2002.

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Existing problems in Chinese economy and
development

• Income inequity, gap between rich and poor
• Unbalanced development gap between urban and
  rural gap between east and west
• Unemployment
• Overdependence on investment and foreign trade
• Less consumption, too much saving
• Environment pollution
• Energy sources are limited
• The capability of innovation in science and
  high-technology is insufficient.

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From a long-term view, Chinese economy is
optimistic

• A relatively abundance of natural resources
• A potentially huge domestic market
• An almost unlimited supply of surplus labor
• A high domestic saving rate of 35-40
• A cultural preference for education
• The agricultural sector has been performing not
  too bad
• Government and leaders are powerful and
  reasonable, political reform will go gradually
  not dramatically.

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Some Traditional Confucian Values that Still
Affects Chinese Culture Today
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• The Value Priority in Traditional Chinese Culture

• The value of morality prior to that of utility
• The value of moral merit prior to that of
  intelligent
• The value of group prior to that of individuals
  
• The value of peace and safety prior to that of
  freedom and liberty
• The value of harmony prior to that of conflict.

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????

• Collectivism, communalism
• People exist as groups, rather than atoms.
• People are affiliated with each other, rather
  than isolated or independent from each other.
• self is defined by its relation with others, an
  individual is made out of all his social
  relations.

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• The interests of a family, a group or a country
  are more important than those of an individual,
  because the later depends greatly on the former.
• The sense of belonging seems more wanted than the
  sense of liberty.
• General peace and stability seems more important
  than individual freedom.

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????

• Rule of virtue rule of morals
• To govern the country with ethics

• The force of virtue is more powerful than that of
  military. A benevolent ruler should have no
  enemy under the Heaven.
• ????? The difference between the kingly way
  (benevolent government) and the hegemonical
  way.
• Law is needed, but only as a tool to assist the
  realization of moral values.

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Dont pursue hegemony is an important guide
line for dealing with international affairs by
China, which have been emphasized by Chinese
leaders ever since Mao, and it also echoes with
some of the ancient Chinese political philosophy.

• ? ? ?

Bù cheng bà, means dont pursue hegemony.
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????

• The doctrine of the Mean
• The neutral, balanced and common way.

Persisting on the doctrine of the Mean is
quite similar to walking on a steel wire.
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• Try to make a balance between extremists (or
  between polarities).
• Too much is as bad as too short beyond is as bad
  as falling short Going too far is as bad as not
  going far enough.
• Dialectic, or relative, or dynamic view of
  principles, nothing is absolute.
• ???? be harmonious but not monotonous
  (diversifying but still harmonious)

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• ?

A Peace and stable domestic and international
environment is what China, Chinese government and
Chinese people treasure most.
Hémeans peace and harmony