China Civil Society

AP Comparative

Who are the Han Chinese

• Name from the “Han Dynasty” (206 BCE - 220 CCE) achievements in developing government and civil service,  paper, measuring time, etc.

• Make up 92% of China’s mainland population

• World’s largest ethnic group, 18% of all people on earth

• Chinese culture is Han culture

Autonomous Regions

like a province, they have their own local government, but more legislative rights. Still accountable to the CCP and Government (the State Council). These regions have a large ethnic minority population.

Note: Municipalities are governed by the State Council and not part of a province.

Special Administrative regions

they have a degree of autonomy, but the National People’s Congress and its Standing Committee can still enforce laws for these regions and still accountable to CCP and State Council.

Tibet

• Tibetan population of ~90%

• Home to Mount Everest

• Dalai Lama, the Central Tibet Administration is the governing body (based in India)

Guangxi

• Zhuang population ~30% and Han population ~60%

• Party of China’s economic center and tourist destination

Xinjiang

• Han Chinese hold the majority and Uyghur population ~45% (high tensions between these two groups)

• China has worked to limit the study of Islam in this region

Ningxia

• Hui population make up ~38% of the population and the Han population is ~60%

• China has worked to limit the study of Islam in this region

• Removing of Arabic signs

Inner Mongolia

• 17% Mongol and Han population ~79%

• Through economic development under Deng Xiaoping, much migration of Han Chinese to inner Mongolia, creating income disparities.

Hong Kong

• Hong Kong is a Special Administrative Region of China

• They operate under a “one country, two systems principle”

  • Their governing structure is a result of history as a British territory.

• Hong Kong has a regional constitution, with 3 branches of government.

• The Premier of China appoints their Chief Executive.

• Decisions made by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress can override judicial proceedings here. The Standing Committee can also enforce national law in the region during a state of emergency.

  • Beijing enforces recent National Security Law (video), Article 23, 2020

    • Punishes dissent, espionage, and treason

• Hong Kong also has regional districts of its own.

Hong Kong and US State Department

Taiwan

• China claims that Taiwan is a province of China

  • A “nominal administrative division” of the People’s Republic of China

  • Operates as the “Republic of China” (Taiwan), under the amended Constitution  from 1947.

• Taiwan maintains that it’s an independent country

  • UN refers to Taiwan as a Province of China

  • US has a “One China” Policy, not recognizing Taiwan as independent

    • State Department

• Also controversy over who owns many islands in South China Sea

• In the late 90s, Taiwan transitioned to a multi-party democracy, with a presidential system of government

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

• Western influence is reflected in discos, coffee houses, cell phones, and internet use. 

• Growth of private organizations focused on social problems, like the environments, AIDS, and legal reforms.

  • China has thousands of NGOs that are registered with the government.

• Christianity and Buddhism are rebounding, but with close control by the government

• Speaking out against the government is seen as a national security threat (threatens government’s legitimacy and their efforts to build strong nationalism)

  • Freedom of the Press in China (surveillance and and censorship of the media)

  • Amnesty International

Economy

• Mixed e, socialist, market conomy

• World’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP; global leader in exports and manufacturing; historically strong growth slowing; challenges of aging workforce, weak productivity, rising youth unemployment, struggling property sector, and public debt; state-sponsored economic controls and infrastructure investments

• World leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizer; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, railcars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites (State Department)

• US has instituted a 20% tariff on all imported Chinese goods, China responded with tariffs on US agriculture 

• In addition, US has imposed a 100% tariff on electric vehicles and 50% tariff on certain medical products

• Points to note from discussion:

  • GINI Index -  Measuring Income inequality:

  • Human Development Index

  • What is the World Trade Organization? China joins in 2001

  • Special Economic Zones (SEZs), located in Eastern Provinces

  • 2008 financial crises in US and growth in China’s Economy