China Regents Review

Where is China located?

Located in East Asia, along with Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Borders the Pacific Ocean to the east, Russia and Mongolia to the north, mountains to the west, and Southeast Asia to the south.

What is China's climate like?

Savanna, desert, steppe, humid subtropical, humid continental, and vertical climates.

What are some of China's land features?

Himalayan Mountains, Tibetan Plateau, Gobi Desert, Huang He (Yellow) River, and Yangtze River.

What are China's resources?

Limited amounts of iron, vast coal reserves in Manchuria, recently discovered oil, and rare earth minerals for electronics.

What are the main causes of scarcity in China?

Lack of habitable land (mostly in the east) and lack of farmland, leading to overpopulation.

What is Manchuria?

Region in northeastern China, rich in natural resources crucial for modern technologies.

What was the Qing Dynasty?

1644-1911, the last dynasty of China, also known as the Manchus.

What is ethnocentrism, and how does it relate to China?

The belief in the superiority of one’s ethnic group or culture. China believed it was the “Middle Kingdom”.

What was the trade imbalance between China and Britain?

By 1800, Britain sought to trade with China but was only interested in silver. Britain resorted to selling opium to China to obtain silver, leading to the Opium War.

What was the Opium War?

1839 to 1842. Britain won due to superior technology. Resulted in the Treaty of Nanjing.

What was the Treaty of Nanjing?

Marked the end of the Opium War. Hong Kong was ceded to Britain, and extraterritoriality was granted to British citizens in China.

What is extraterritoriality?

British citizens could commit crimes in China without being subject to Chinese laws or prosecution.

What is a sphere of influence, and how did it affect China?

An area in which a mother country has economic control or trade influence over a region. Britain, Germany, Japan, Russia, and France gained control over specific areas in China.

What was the Taiping Rebellion?

1850-1864. A civil war against the Qing Dynasty due to anger over foreign domination.

What was the Boxer Rebellion?

1899-1900. Chinese people attacked foreign imperialists, but foreign countries sent troops to fight the Boxers.

Who was Sun Yat-sen?

Overthrew the Qing Dynasty in 1911 and believed in the Three People’s Principles: Nationalism, Democracy, and People’s Livelihood.

Who was Chiang Kai-shek?

Became the leader of the KMT after Sun Yat-sen died. Civil war broke out between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Who was Mao Zedong?

Became the leader of the Communist Party during the Long March in the 1930s. Promised redistribution of land to peasants and women’s rights.

What were communal farms during the Great Leap Forward?

Government owned large collective farms. Was a failure that led to over 40 million deaths by starvation.

What was the Cultural Revolution?

Launched by Mao to eliminate political opponents. Enlisted high school and college students (Red Guard) to enforce his policies.

Who was Deng Xiaoping?

Became the leader of China in the 1970s and allowed a little bit of capitalism through the Four Modernizations.

What happened at Tiananmen Square?

June 4, 1989: the government suppressed the protests, resulting in the massacre of thousands.

Who are the Uyghur people?

Muslims living in Northwest China, with over a million in “reeducation camps.” Subject to human rights violations.

What is the situation with Taiwan?

A major democratic ally of the West. China has expressed intentions to reclaim it, raising concerns about potential future conflicts.

Who were the Red Guards?

High school and college students who acted as Mao’s enforcers during the Cultural Revolution.

Four Modernizations

Deng Xiaoping’s plan to allow a little bit of capitalism