China Vocab Test

Chinese Dream

vision for China's future, promoted by President Xi Jinping. It focuses on national prosperity, a stronger economy, improving living standards, and restoring China's global influenc

Anticorruption Campaign

Enforcing stricter laws, instituting independent oversight, public awareness and engagement, institutional reforms.

Beijing Consensus

China's approach where the government plays a central role in guiding economic growth while maintaining control over political power, without adopting Western-style democracy.

Belt and Road Initiative

global development strategy launched by China in 2013. It aims to improve trade and investment connections between China and countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and beyond.

Century of Humiliation

period in Chinese history (from the mid-1800s to 1949) when China was weakened by foreign invasions, lost territories, and had to sign unfair treaties. It includes events like the Opium Wars and Japan's invasion of China.

Chinese Communist Party

ruling political party in China

Confucianism

set of moral principles based on the teachings of Confucius emphasizes respect for authority, family loyalty, social harmony, and the importance of education

Cultural Revolution

political campaign in China led by Mao Zedong to preserve communist ideology by removing capitalist, traditional, and cultural elements from Chinese society

danwei (work unit) system

system in China where people's lives were largely organized and controlled by their work units, such as factories, schools, or government offices.

Deng Xiaoping

Chinese political leader who became the leader of China after Mao Zedong.

Falun Gong

spiritual movement that combines meditation, exercises, and teachings based on traditional Chinese beliefs.

Floating Population

refers to the millions of people who migrate from rural areas to cities in search of work but do not have permanent urban residency.

Great Leap Forward

campaign led by Mao Zedong to rapidly transform China from an agrarian society into an industrialized nation.

iron rice bowl

refers to the guaranteed job security, benefits, and social services that workers in China traditionally received, particularly under the planned economy. It provided stability by ensuring lifetime employment, healthcare, and other state-provided benefits.

hukou (household registration) system

system in China that registers citizens based on their birthplace, which determines where they can live, work, and access social services like healthcare and education

Hundred Flowers Campaign

was an initiative launched by Mao Zedong in China, encouraging citizens to openly express their opinions and criticisms of the government

harmonious society

concept introduced by Xi Jinping in the early 2000s, aiming to promote social stability, reduce inequality, and create a balanced, prosperous society in China. It focuses on improving the well-being of all citizens while maintaining the Communist Party's control

Household responsibility system

agricultural policy introduced in China in the late 1970s. It allowed farmers to lease land from the government and keep the profits from their crops, as long as they met production targets

Hu Jintao

President of China and the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 2002 to 2012

Zemin Jiang

President of China and the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party from 1989 to 2002.

Kuomintang KMT

ruling political party in China before the Chinese Civil War

Keqiang Li

Premier of China from 2013 to 2023 played a key role in shaping China's economic policies and governance, working alongside President Xi Jinping to maintain stability and growth while dealing with challenges like rising debt and slowing economic growth.

Long March

military retreat by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), led by Mao Zedong, to escape attacks from the Nationalist forces.

Zedong Mao

founding leader of the People's Republic of China and the leader of the Chinese Communist Party (

May fourth movement

a protest that started on May 4, 1919, in China. It was sparked by anger over the Treaty of Versailles, which gave Chinese territories to Japan.

National Party Congress

highest decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

National People's Congress (NPC)

China's top legislative body

one country, two systems

policy proposed by Deng Xiaoping in the 1980s. It allows regions like Hong Kong and Macau to maintain their own economic and political systems, separate from the Communist Party-controlled system in mainland China, while still being part of China.

People's Liberation Army (PLA)

combined military of China, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Rocket Force. It is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), not by the government, and plays a key role in maintaining the Party's power and defending China's interests.

red capitalists

wealthy businesspeople in China who have made their fortunes in the market-oriented economy but still maintain strong ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)

Red Guards

group of young people in China who were mobilized by Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution

Red versus experts

conflict during China's Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), where Mao Zedong promoted the idea that loyalty to the Communist Party (the "Red" side) was more important than expertise or technical knowledge

reform and opening

economic and political policies introduced by Deng Xiaoping in China starting in the late 1970s.

Social Credit System (SCS)

is a government initiative in China aimed at monitoring and evaluating citizens' behavior.

special economic zones

areas in China where business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country

Yat-sen Sun

Chinese political leader and the founder of the Republic of China

Three Represents

The development needs of China's advanced social productive forces (economic growth),

The political rights and interests of the people, and

The cultural progress of Chinese society.

Tiananmen Square

refers to a large public square in Beijing, China, that became the site of a pro-democracy protest in 1989

Uighurs

Muslim ethnic minority group primarily from Xinjiang

Jinping Xi

current President of China and the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), holding the top leadership positions in the country

Cult of Personality

refers to the excessive admiration and glorification of a political leader, often through propaganda and state-controlled media. Leaders in such a cult are portrayed as infallible, heroic, or almost god-like.

Collectivization

process of merging small farms or businesses into large, state-controlled farms or collectives.

Cadres

government officials or workers who hold positions of power within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and carry out its policies at various levels of government

Democracy Movement

China refers to efforts by citizens and activists to push for more political freedoms, human rights, and democratic reforms