Download 5 PERSIA GT China 2017

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POLITICAL
Government type: Communist state
Executive branch: Chiefs of state: President Xi Jinping. Premier Li Keqiang
(2013) Elected by the National People’s Congress every 5 yrs.
Political parties and leaders: Chinese Communist Party or CCP controls the
“How China Picks its Leaders” www.theatlantic.com
groups that can run for congress for the 23 regions that then are allowed to
vote on laws and promote members into the higher ranks of the gov, where the real control is held.
Suffrage (ability to vote): 18 yrs universal
Government budget: Revenue: $2.465 trillion Expenditures $2.897 trillion (USA revenue $3.3 tril, expenditures $3.9 tril)
Having a deficit (the difference between what one has and what one spends) is common
Debt: $9.83 billion (#16/206 (USA #1 $17.910 tril))
Military
Military size: 2.285 million (#1 (US: #2 1.458 million)) *Military strength is not solely based on size
Military expenditures: 2.3% of GDP (2015) (#40/132 (US: #9 4.35%)) *A small percent of a large GDP is still large
$146.7 billion (2017) $145 billion (2016) $132 billion (2014) (#2 (US: #1 $573 billion 2016)
International Relations (general overview, not taken from cia.gov)
Globally: Gaining a larger international presence. Ex: On the UN’s Security Council. Member of the G8, a group of 8
countries considered the most influential in the world. Making moves to lead the world in combatting climate change. ,
China’s large foreign investment is tying them more closely to areas around the world. Chinese businesses heavily invest
in various African countries, which helps them gain access to their resources.
The US: See one another as necessary for trade, but tense due to perceived as economic and military threats, as well as
competition for international political influence.
Hong Kong: Returned to Chinese control in 1997, China promised to leave it to run with its capitalist system. But,
mainland China is beginning to exert more political control, leading to civil unrests.
Territorial Expansion: An expanding military and maritime presence
intimidates neighbors, particularly South Korea, Taiwan, the
Philippines, and Japan. Regional tensions high due to China
systematically claiming and building islands in the South China Sea in
order to claim larger territorial rights with strategic trade routes and
valuable oil and gas fields. China’s “Nine Dash” claim disregards an
international agreement about a country’s territorial waters and
rights to resources and military presence. This affects countries such
as Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
The New Silk Road: Investing billions to increase interdependence
and access to resources.
1) Economic belt: Oil and natural gas
pipelines will feed growing industrialization.
Roads and trains directly will connect China,
central Asia, and Europe. New investment
and construction has the potential to
increase central Asia’s prosperity, but also
cause conflicts such as corruption and
terrorist activities.
2) Maritime Silk Road: Trade routes
connecting China to Southwest Asia, Africa,
and Europe. Wall Street Journal Map=proposed
routes (2016)
ECONOMIC
GDP: 21.27 trillion (2016) $19.55 tn (2015) $18.67 tn (2014) $16.42 tn (2013) (#1/230 (USA:# 3 $18.56 tn))
GDP - growth rate: 6.6% (2016) 6.9% (2015) 7.3% (2014) 7.7% (2013) 9.7% (2011) (#13 (US: #154 1.6%))
GDP - per capita: 14,300 (2015) 13,400 (2014) $12,400 (2014) (#112/ 230 (US: #19. $56,300))
Population % below the poverty line: 6.1% (below $400 a yr) (USA 15% below $12,300 a yr)
Unemployment rate: 4.2% (#36/207 (US: #48, 4.7%))
Labor force: 805.9 million (#1/233 (US: #4))
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 33.6%, industry: 30.3%, services: 36.1% (2012)
GDP - composition by sector of origin: agriculture: 8.9%, industry: 42.79%, services: 48.4%
Agriculture - products: world’s largest total value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea…
Exports: $2.011 tril (#2/224 (US: #3 $1.958 tril)) Machinery, data processing equipment, clothes, furniture, textiles…
Exports - partners: US 18%, Hong Kong 14.6%, Japan 6%, South Korea 4.5 % (2015)
Imports: $1.437 tril (#3/223 (US: #2. $2.205 tril)) Electrical and other machinery, oil, and mineral fuels…
Import Partners South Korea 10.9%, US 9%, Japan 8.9%, Germany 5.5% , Australia 4.1%
PEOPLE AND SOCIETY (R.S.I)
Population: 1,373,541,278 (2016)
1,367,485,388 (2015)
1,355,692,576 (2014)
(#1/238 (US: #4))
Population growth rate: .43% (#164/233) As of 2016, due to the aging population and economic needs for more young
workers, people were allowed to have two children, the government expanded the 1 Child Policy put in place in 1979.
Urban population: 55.6% (2015) 50.4% (2014)
Urban migration: Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2014
more than 274 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work.
Major cities - population: Shanghai 23.7m; Beijing 20.3m; Chongqing 13.3m (US: NYC 8.4m, LA 3.8m)
Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 91.6%
Languages: Most common: standard Chinese or Mandarin
Religions: Officially atheist. Religion is not part of a communist society. Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, none 52.2%
Literacy: 96.4%. male: 98.2%, female: 94.5%
Health expenditures: 5.6% of GDP (#126/192 (US: 17.9% #1))
Life expectancy: 75.5 yrs (#101/224 (US: 79.8 yrs #42))
Infant mortality: 12/1000 live births (#121/224 (US: 6/1000 #167)) (good # to be low)
Obesity: 7.3% (2014) 5.7% (2008) (#152/191 (USA #18))
Access to clean water: urban: 97.5% (2015) 98.4% (2013); rural: 93% (2015) 84.9% (2013)
Access to sanitation facilities: urban: 86.6% (2015) 74.1% (2013); rural: 63.7% (2015) 55.8% (2013)
Human Development Index: HDI (ex: life expectancy, years in school, GDP per cap): #90/188 (USA #10)
Social Progress Index Overall Score: 62.10 (2016) #84/131; 59.07 (2015) #92/131 (US: 84.62 #19/131)
SPI elements: Basic Human Needs: 79.31 #67/131 (2016);
73.74 #71/131 (2015)
(US: #21)
Foundation of Wellbeing: 67.96 #82/131 (2016);
Opportunity: 39.03 #105/131 (2016);
65.40 #88/131 (2015)
38.08 #110/131 (2015)
(US: #32)
(US: #13)
Amnesty International: This Human Rights group criticizes and put pressure on China for its Human Rights abuses. Some
major issues: freedom of expression, assembly, and religion; women’s rights; the detention of human rights defenders.
AESTHETIC
Soft Power: “It is [recognized] that for nations to be powerful they need more than economic might and military threat.
They need soft power… Now China is devoting billions to try to refashion its image. Chinese President Xi Jinping has made
it a priority and has said China has to become a "cultural superpower". His directions for China's soft power strategy are
specific: "To give a good Chinese narrative and better communicate China's messages to the world. To be portrayed as a
civilized place featuring a rich history, with good government and developed economy, cultural prosperity and diversity
and beautiful mountains and rivers." A big part of the plan is to take over Hollywood. In 2018, China will become the
world's biggest box office, surpassing America, and it will keep growing, at least doubling before peaking. Hollywood
producers are now considering the "China factor" in any future profitability. Stories and narratives are changing to
become more appealing to the Chinese.” (“China’s Soft Power: Hollywood take-over on the cards in quest for cultural
influence” 2016, Matthew Carney, ABC.net.au)
Top grossing films of all time: The Mermaid (Ch) Monster Hunt (Ch) Furious 7 (US) Transformers: Age of Extinction (US)
Travel Destination: Shanghai and Beijing in top 10 most popular places to travel (Business Insider, 2014)
Broadcast media: All broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the CCP or a government agency; no privatelyowned television or radio stations. The Central Propaganda Department lists subjects that are off limits to media with
the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs or films.
Censorship: State censors monitor many things in China such as: print media, online
information, social media, movies, TV, etc. They heavily censor the internet and
have started their own versions of popular sites in order to stay behind the
“Great Firewall” which cuts access to outside servers. CCP often justifies
censorship as a way to avoid corrupting the morals of the people.
Chinese equivalents
“China is having it both ways: it is allowing its citizens to benefit from the social and commercial aspects of the internet,
while placing strict limits on its use for political activism… There is no doubt that microblogs such as Sina Weibo, the
Chinese equivalent of Twitter, have given the public a new voice with which to demand more accountability from officials
on issues such as corruption, food safety and air pollution. But so far, the government has managed to prevent the
internet being used to campaign for broader political change. Indeed, by providing people with an outlet to vent their
concerns and giving the illusion of public debate, the internet may even be delaying the radical changes that China
needs.” (“How does China censor the internet?” The Economist, 2013)
GEOGRAPHY
Location: total: 9,596,961 sq km (4/257) slightly smaller that USA
Borders: 14 countries Coastline: 14,500 km
Climate: extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north
Physical features: mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, and hills in east
Land use: Agricultural land: 54.7%. Estimated loss of one-fifth of agricultural land since 1949 to soil erosion
and economic development.
Natural resources: coal, iron ore, petroleum, natural gas, mercury, tin, rare earth metals, hydropower
Natural Hazards: frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging
floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts;
Environmental issues: air pollution (greenhouse gases) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; water shortages,
particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; deforestation; desertification
Electricity consumption AND production: #1/220
Crude oil imports: #2/214 (US: #1)
Electricity generated from fossil fuels: 67.3% (#118/214
(US: 73.5% #101))
Carbon emissions: #1/212 (2013) (US: #2)
Renewable energy investment: #1
Generation of renewable energy (solar, hydro, wind): #1
(US: #2 yet still only half the amount China generates)
Hydroelectric power: 22.2% (#89/214 and #1 in largest hydroelectric potential (US: hydroelectric 7.4% #122))
TECHNOLOGY
Cell phones: 1.3 billion (94 per 100 ppl) (#1/225)
Internet users: 687.85 million (50.3% of population) 2015 (#1/225)
Roadways: 4,106,387 km (#3 /223)
Railways: 191,270km (#2/136)