China's Development - From the Early Modern to the Modern Period - Essay Example

Running Head: Describe how any one Of the world regions Describe how any one of the world regions we have studied experienced the transition from the early modern to the modern period [Name of the writer] [Name of the institution] Describe how any one of the world regions we have studied experienced the transition from the early modern to the modern period Many citizens in America may think that China has carried on its tradition, economic policies, and political views through the centuries. In reality the Chinese customs, economic polices, and political views have changed and are no longer as strict, enforced, and rigid as they were a few millennia ago. China is now a country f technological advancements, economic tranquillity, and hard working citizens. China is a vastly growing country and the world has not recognized this. If the world does not recognize the problems facing China it will slowly become an isolated country focused on traditions and simplicity. To many citizens around the world, it would seem that the traditional Chinese customs have carried on for many generations, and have not been forgotten. In fact they have done just the opposite, the customs have faded and are only practiced by a handful f Chinese citizens. China like any other country has been changing and continues to change. However, China has and still is facing numerous problems with change. When Jou Brown first set up the justice system in China it was opposed by many. Opposition is still a part f China and many aspects f the country are still challenged such as the economic policies, political views, trade partners, and relations. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) Confucianism was taught to the people f China. They believed that a leader must be a role model, everyone could become "perfect," and they can use their intelligence and wisdom to overcome obstacles instead f using brute force. During the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties the economic policies f China were adjusted once again. Western foreigners were watched closely to insure the safety f the Chinese people. The economy became firmer. In modern China, some believe that the internal affairs f China and economic progress were more important than worrying over a few western traders. The Ming dynasty contributed greatly to Chinese literature, art, and philosophy. (Yabuki 1995) It is recognized for its sea exploration, and its strong and complex government that unified and controlled the empire. However, it was the complexity f its government that prevented it from adapting to change in society, which soon led to its decline. The Qing dynasty, which took power, next was the most powerful dynasty that China had ever had. After a century f gloriousness the Qing dynasty became brittle and inflexible. The dynasty could not adjust itself to combat the new problems that arose. Bad harvests, warfare, rebellions, overpopulation, economic disaster, and foreign imperialism contributed to the dynasty's collapse. A revolution soon erupted in October 1911 and the emperor f the Qing dynasty, Xuantong (1912) stepped down and ended the last dynasty f China. (Chen 2000, 1-15) Soon the views and economic structure were to be radically opposed and changed as China moved, slowly, into modernization. A leader by the name f Mao Zedong (1893-1976) believed that China must upgrade its technology, weapons, and change the way the economy is built and operated. Mao Zedong redistributed the land, eliminated landlords, and established industry in the cities. (Mody 293-325) Mao Zedong also sought to insure political unity in China. To do this Mao Zedong launched several campaigns, some included, "Suppression f the Counterrevolutionaries," "Three-Anti," and "Five-Anti." Mao Zedong also launched another campaign shortly after called the "Hundred Flowers" Mao Zedong urged the intellectuals to criticize the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Mao Zedong later launched another set up campaigns called "The Great Leap Forward" (1958) and "The Cultural Revolution" (1966). Both were claimed to aid China in its effort to modernize. (Lu 2001) Mao also raised the status f women, which opened up many job opportunities to them. Mao Zedong also believed that China must isolate itself. Chairman Mao Zedong was intent on keeping the world away from China and would not expand ties with neighbouring countries. Thus, countries such as Japan were able to modernize and become more powerful than China, on a militaristic standpoint because they accepted foreign influence. Mao Zedong also believed as Confucius (551 - 479 BC) that the people could become "perfect." Although Mao Zedong believed that when the people became "perfect" that they could take control f the government and rule their own country. This dream was never realized as Chairman Mao Zedong died in 1976. Mao Zendong was praised for his contributions to China, although he was criticized for his mistakes with the "Great Leap Forward" and "The Cultural Revolution." (Fan 2002) Shortly after Mao Zedong's death Deng Xiaoping took power. Deng Xiaoping was eager to show the world that China was more than a land f poverty, destruction, poor economic polices, and a disease driven population. (Rozelle 2000) Deng Xiaoping focused on modernizing and upgrading China's technology. Once in power Deng Xiaoping took little time in repairing the damage f the Cultural Revolution. (Dmurger 2001, 95-117) Deng Xiaoping's overall goal was to stabilize and strengthen China, securing communist rule. Deng Xiaoping launched his first campaign called the "Four Modernization" (1978). Deng Xiaoping also oversaw the establishment f special economic zones (SEZs), which encouraged new factories. Deng Xiaoping was able to reduce the amount f soldiers in the military by advancing the technology. To do this Deng Xiaoping sent many students abroad to study with other countries mainly the United States. (Wen 2001) When Deng Xiaoping took power he strongly influenced the acceptance f Western teachings. Deng Xiaoping took the traditions f China and incorporated them into the economy. In essence Deng Xiaoping took the traditions f China and modernized them. Like Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping believed that a child should follow the Filial Piety to obey and love his parents. However, Deng Xiaoping believed that the obedience and servitude f the child should not be as strict as it was during his ancestor's times and that the child is allowed some freedom. Deng Xiaoping also introduced a new plan, one that would save the economy f China. During Deng Xiaoping's time in power China's population was growing vastly. To prevent this, Deng Xiaoping created a law that limits families to one child. This law proved to be useful and slowed the growth f China to an acceptable rate. (Ya 1999) Deng Xiaoping also believed that anyone in society has the ability to raise his or her status in China. Deng Xiaoping stressed the need to remember and keep certain traditions such as burial and funeral ceremonies. Most citizens f China now hire a Taoist priest to perform religious chants and ceremonies for the dead. Deng Xiaoping also hoped to bring about a conclusion to long turmoil between Taiwan and to create a peaceful working economy. However, the confrontation between Taiwan has not ended and China believes that the US continually interferes with her affair with Taiwan. Deng Xiaoping died in 1997 after making China into the working country we know today. (Sachs 1997) One can see that many aspects f China have changed such as, economic policies, political views, and treatment f citizens. Religious customs and traditions have not vanished from China, but they have in fact altered to become part f modern China. China is a country f vast possibilities that require the aid f foreigners, other wise the technology and science to be discovered in China will be lost forever. China is a country f desperation, if the rest f the world does not see this China will be lost to the one thing mankind cannot stop, time. Economy f China Could you imagine being a leader f the largest importing industry One day your leading the world in imported goods sold and the next second your not. The country f China is ballooning U.S. trade and is becoming a major source f global deflationary. In the past year China passed it's competitor, Japan in large imports sold to Canada. "The world needs to wake up and smell the coffee that China's providing," says, Washington's journalist Mandy Thorpe (New York). She writes that China is becoming an import-trading heavyweight. China has become an economic titan. It is a country so big, so cheap and industrializing so fast it has single-handedly changed the structure f world trade, brought deflation to the door f North America and made a huge swathe f the world's manufacturing sector obsolete. (Berthlemy 1998, 140-155) In April, a company by the name f Noranda Inc. shut down a 2-year million-dollar magnesium plant in the city f Danville. China took a 630 million dollar title-wave against earning and eliminating 380 jobs. The plant fairly new, had only been open for a matter f 2 years. "We started construction in 1998," said Dale Coffin, a spokesman for Noranda. "At the time, China was not even on the radar screen with magnesium and now they produce about 50 per cent f the world's demand. They just drove the price right down to a level where we couldn't operate." "When Noranda considered building the plant in the mid-1990s, magnesium used to make metal alloys. It traded for about US$1.50 a pound. When the company decided to pull the plug in January, it was sold at US60¢ a pound. China, which now has about 70 magnesium producers, and can produce it for US30¢ to US40¢ a pound" (New York). King and queen f job's and maker f cheap labour, whichever way you look at it, China has become a huge force in the global economy and Canada is getting swept up in its wake. While much f the financial world's attention has been fixed on the United States' huge trade deficit with China, which the United States made a 100-Billion dollar trade to which went down as the biggest bilateral trade imbalance the world has seen - Canada has also been scooping up Chinese products at an astonishing pace. Last year, China became the front-runner f its competitor Japan, to become Canada's second largest source f imports after the United States. In 1997, Chinese imports to Canada totalled $6.3-billion and made up 2.3 per cent f Canada's imports. In 2002, they totalled $15.9-billion - a 150 per cent increase - and made up 4.8 per cent f the import pie. As a percentage f gross domestic products, Canada's trade deficit with China is actually bigger than the United States'. In the year 2003 to April, Canada bought about $12.0-billion more goods from China than it exported putting the country's deficit at 1.1 per cent f GDP. That compares with just less than 1 per cent f GDP for the United States. It's a bit f an eye-opener, given the fact that the U.S. runs a deficit with just about everyone and Canada. (Morrison 2005) It's not just plastic toys and cheap clothes that are gaining market share in Canada. The number one import from China last year was computers and computer parts, then toys and video recording equipment. Aerials for faxes, cell phones and amateur radios are big sellers as are golf bags. Artificial Christmas trees are the sixth biggest import from China. Although it may seem like an odd seller in Canada but not when you consider China's special economic zone, claims 80 per cent f the world's market for the product. "They've moved well beyond toys and games," Mr. Porter said (New York). The structure f trade between Canada and China would make you wonder which one is the developed economy and which one is the developing economy. While high-end autos and auto parts are Canada's biggest export to China, the next biggest sellers are natural resources such as potassium chloride, wood pulp, ethylene glycol and frozen shrimps and prawns. In all, Canada exported $4.1-billion worth f goods to China last year, up 71 per cent from $2.4-billion in 1997. The world's major automakers now have operations in China as along with Microsoft Corp., General Electric Co., Canada's Inco Ltd. and Nortel Networks Corp. That is a heck f a lot, especially when you consider the fact that the country that we reside in has never had a break through as such. China is defined be Webster as a place for exotic journeys (Emerson 489). There is no secret to China's economic success: the key ingredient is cheap labour. Wages have been held flat by the endless stream f workers fleeing the countryside and crumbling state enterprises for the giant factories f China. This has allowed Chinese companies to produce goods at a fraction f the cost f those in most other countries and has acted as a magnet for Western companies looking to drive down costs. In closing the growing country f China is projected to lead in the next ten years in the field f imports. If we wish to compete with them we must do as they are and that's drive prices down. Thank you for reading the following, I hope you've learned something. (Cannon 2000) Conclusion Since 1980, China's economy has continuously grown. With the government slowly allowing more freedom among businesses, China is beginning to break away from its communist roots and develop capitalist methods. The government is allowing small businesses to expand and is decreasing taxes on the lower class, allowing a larger middle class to develop. Allowing a larger middle class to develop will lower the unemployment and the homelessness rate. Increasing productivity f goods and increased trade will increase its economy and allow China to become a strong competitor in world trade. China is a large country with great potential as it is becoming modernized. China's fast growth and adoption f capitalist methods will lead the country to become a stronger economic power. China's adoption f capitalist methods has greatly strengthened its economy. Twenty-five million new companies, mostly small, have sprung up in China in the past decade. The Tokyo Candle Inc., for example, established in 1918, revived its successful business by relocating all its production lines to China and only retaining its sale and service sectors in Japan. Many f these small businesses are becoming larger and expanding. The Global Sources Corp., a big-name provider f international trade information, entered the China market in 1992 and has received a marked increase in orders for Chinese products during the past two years. Agriculture, an important factor in the rising economy, is being monitored less by the government by being less strict on the limitations f sales. Government control on all sales has decreased, which allows more competition. More competition means companies fighting for sales. China has planned rearranging its taxing system, which will help boost its economy. It is lessening taxes on the lower classes to create a larger middle class. Farm taxes will especially be reduced because f the 800 million people still living in the countryside that live off farming. This change will help a great part f the countries poverty. Grain production, one f China's largest agricultural productions, will save a combined amount f $1.2 billion a year from reduced taxes. The reduced taxes for larger companies will allow it to make and sell more grain as exports, which in turn will raise the economy. (Chen 1996, 141-164) China's increase in trade will allow its economy to rise further. Its membership in the World Trade Organization allows it to compete against other countries. China's exports will increase and it will gain more money. China is one f the world's largest producers in agriculture. The productivity f China's agriculture has continuously increased a yearly growth f 3-4 per cent since 1980. Even though China produces much f the agricultural products f the world, only about 20 per cent f China's earnings are from agriculture. Most f their exports come from cell phones and cars. China manufactures 30 per cent f electronic exports in Asia, but only 6 per cent f exports globally. Software sales within the country began at $819 million and rose to $3.5 billion from 1995-2001. During those years, hardware sales rose from $7.59 million to $9.68 million. With all these rising sales, China economy is gradually rising. Past methods f China have kept it from rising into an economic power sooner. The method f communism is the main cause f its slow modernization. Communism is a method where one cannot achieve much higher than others economically. This means that someone who has a harder profession may receive the same amount f pay as someone whose profession is easier. It is said to work out perfectly on paper, but does not well in the real world. The evening out f pay promotes unwillingness to try harder to achieve. If people do not try hard to achieve, the economy will not rise. The communist party will not change its ways willingly. Other countries are being affected by and are affecting china's growing economics. The biggest effect China will have is on world trade. China is currently the largest soybean producer in the world. It is estimated that China will soon become the largest corn importer. With all the mass productions f agriculture, the competition will be fierce. China is already the main source f imports into Korea and Japan. The United States f America (US) sees China as a strong competitor because f China's 30 per cent lower prices f vegetables, fruits, and livestock. Professor Rozelle from the department f agricultural economics at the University f California Davis studies Chinese rural areas. He pays visits to China every year to conduct field surveys. In his studies, he observed that thousands f township enterprises have emerged in Chinese rural areas. He sees that township companies quickly develop and are mainly engaged in labour intensive light industries. Rozelle says these companies, which are privately owned, are set up by the villagers themselves. He says that if Chinese agriculture poses a threat to the American economy, it would be because f the township companies. (Hornik 1995, 28-42) China has obstacles that prevent its economy from rising. The Communist party does not want become capitalists. "The Communist Party cannot allow the United States government to dominate Asia because the United States government continues to pose the greatest threat to Communist rule in China in the form f its military alliances with the surrounding states and because f its regular condemnation f Beijing's policies." With China's continuous growth and capitalist methods, it will soon become an economic power. This economic power will lead to good and bad changes. Good changes being the improvements f the lives f billions f people. Bad changes being decreased economy for other countries. In conclusion, the country f China will change the entire world. References Berthlemy, Jean-Claude / Dmurger, Silvie (1998): Foreign direct investment and economic growth: Theoretical issues and empirical application to China. In: Review f Development Economics, Vol. 4, No. 2, 140-155 Cannon, Terry (Ed.) (2000): China's economic growth: The impact on regions, migration, and the environment. New York (St. Martin's Press) Chen, Baizhu / Feng, Yi (2000): Determinants f economic growth in China: Private enterprise, education and openness. In: China Economic Review, Vol. 11, No 1, 1-15 Chen, Jian / Fleisher, Belton M. (1996): Regional income inequality and economic growth in China. In: Journal f Comparative Economics, Vol. 22, No. 2, 141-164 Dmurger, Sylvie (2001): Infrastructure development and economic growth: An explanation for regional disparities in China In: Journal f Comparative Economics, Vol. 29, No. 1, 95-117 Fan, Shenggen / Zhang, Linxiu / Zhang, Xiaobo (2002): Growth, inequality, and poverty in rural China. The role f public investments. Washington, DC (International Food Policy Research Institute, Research Report 125) Hornik, R. (1995): Bursting China's bubble. In: Foreign Affairs, Vol. 73, No. 3, 28-42 Lu, Feng (2001): Poverty reduction through Growth: China's experiences. Paper presented ath the Regional Conference on National Poverty Reduction Strategies, organized by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Hanoi, Vietnam, December 4-6, 2001 Mody, Ashoka / Wang, Fang-Yi (1997): Explaining industrial growth in coastal China: Economic reforms ... and what else In: The World Bank Economic Review, Vol. 11, No. 2, 293-325 Morrison, Wayne M. (2005): China's economic conditions. Updated July 1, 2005. Washington, DC (Congressional Research Service, The Library f Congress, CRS Issue Brief for Congress, Order Code IB98014) Rozelle, Scott / Zhang, Linxiu / Hunang, Jikun (2000): China's war on poverty. Stanford, CA (Stanford University, Center for Research on Economic Development and Policy Reform, Working Paper No. 60) Sachs, Jeffrey D. / Woo, Wing Thye (1997): Understanding China's Economic Performance. Cambridge, MA (Harvard Institute for International Development, Development Discussion Paper, No. 575) Taube, Markus, Mehmet (2002): Main Issues on Foreign Investment in China's Regional Development: Prospects and Policy Challenges. 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