Wen Throws Support Behind Efforts to Help Child Beggars

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Summary:

Premier Wen of China said on Sunday morning that he would personally take a stand on the omnipresent issue of child beggars in Chinese cities. These children, often vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, are forced onto the streets for a variety of reasons, namely family issues and poverty. Wen said, however, that "none of these children should be without care." The sudden impetus for a call to action came, surprisingly, from the recently ongoing micro blog campaign that calls on concerned Chinese to post pictures of children begging on the streets in hope that the police will respond accordingly. According to Yu Jianrong, the initiator of the online campaign against child beggars, "It is a good thing that the country's top leader has pointed out that helping child beggars cannot be achieved without public participation." The All-China Women's Federation, a group of government officials that promotes the rights of women and children, issued a statement of disapproval toward the child beggars, saying that anybody that exploits these children should be dealt with accordingly. Since its inception in January, the micro blog campaign has gained considerable footholds with charities, celebrities, and other social institutions. It continues to grow and expand its influence.

Significance:

This article pertains to Systems Theory in terms of feedback and inputs. Inputs are defined as the ways that people participate in government. Many Chinese people are voicing their opinions on the volatile topic of child begging by way of the Internet. This can also be seen as feedback in the sense that the Chinese people are demonstrating what they feel is right. Output is not relevant here quite yet because no real public policy changes have yet been made. Although the premier issued his beliefs and opinions on the subject, no real pieces of legislation have been instituted. This issue also brings up the idea of the gap between the rich and the poor in China. Many entrepreneurs and government insiders possess considerable wealth, while many people are so poor that they are forced to send their children to the streets to beg for pocket change. This disparity is manifest in Communist dogma, although this style of government is meant to "provide for all."

Pandas Fighting International Pressure to Change Currency Value

In this article by the Wall Street Journal, analysts predict that despite China's holding out and persistence of maintaining their currency at its current value, international pressures may force Beijing to force its hand. The yuan has been kept intentionally undervalued by Chinese economic policy makers as a method of causing Chinese goods to cost less in foreign markets, thereby undercutting any competition. But what change could a potential currency change have on China domestically? It would most likely interfere with China's internal efforts to modernize its economy. Proposals to revamp the country's financial system and boost domestic consumption, while necessary, create some level of uncertainty. Any rise in unemployment or the drop in the country's overall economy, if combined with actions letting the yuan appreciate, could put Chinese officials in a difficult position.

This issue certainly has international implications, but as the final statements in the article summary establish, it has serious internal ramifications as well. China's burgeoning growth is already considered dangerous and even borderline unsustainable, and any drop in production or employment could prove disastrous for not only the Chinese economy but Chinese politics. As a generational hand-off is about to occur (approximately in 2012), should the change occur in a time of domestic economic catastrophe, the results of a new government are utterly unpredictable. However, what I believe will happen is that the China Model will disintegrate and Systems Theory will take its place, in that a younger generation opposed to the old system of party rule will emerge and establish responses to the inevitable cries for help of the Chinese poor and middle classes.

If an economic crisis emerges, we may see Panda hobos such as these:

13 crimes removed from death penalty list

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Summary:

The Criminal Law that took effect in 1979 has just received its eigth amendment. 13 economy-related crimes have been removed from the law, in an effor to better protect human rights and to appear in a better light to the rest of the world. Crimes that formerly warranted the death penalty included tax fraud and "fraudulent activities involving financial bills" along with the smuggling of cultural relics and/or rare animals. This ammendment is meant to "temper justice with mercy", according to Lang Sheng, the vice-chairman of the Legislative Affairs Commission. This ammendment was three years in the making because a 2007 Supreme Court decision in China gave the court the ability to approve all not approve all capital punishment cases. Since that decision, 10% of death sentences have been revoked. During the same seesion that yielded the criminal law ammendment, also came laws aimed at energy conservation and the environment. These laws include the Vehicles and Vessels Taxation Law and a Law on Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection. The first will tax 199 million vehicles in China based on their engine output.

Significance:

This is a major step in the right direction, for more reasons than one. The most obvious being that the death penalty is in many cases a remnant of a less developed and even feudal past. There's no place in the modern world for killing someone as punishment for things like tax fraud and it's good that China has realized that. There are still 55 crimes punishable by death that number will most likely continue to dwindle. This ammendment is a great example of international factors influencing policymaking. China knows the eyes of the world are on it and so they're striving to make themselves more appealing, despite being a Communist country. They know they have the potential to be the envy of the world, like the United States now considers itself to be, and they're clearly trying to capitalize on that as soon as possible. The reason for them making the new vehicle tax law may not be for the previously stated reason but the US would be wise to consider something along the same lines.

Panda Impersonators Spotted...Remain Vigilant, Pandas!

How serious is China about protecting endangered species within there borders? It turns out that they will stop at nothing to protect pandas. Pandas are finally being reintroduced into the wild, and as you can see, the Chinese aren't messing around. In order to decrease their dependence on humans, a result of life in captivity, if assistance is needed, the keepers will don panda costumes rather than risk letting the animals get used to contact with human beings. The brave panda at the heart of this reintroduction? Cao Gen is 10 months old, and for pandas, the best time to learn to live in the wild is between the ages of six months and 18 months, according to 82-year-old panda scholar Hu Jinchu. But are they REALLY dedicated to helping these pandas survive? I would have to say so just for this reason: because the chief predators of pandas in Wolong are leopards, Hu advised keepers there to dress and roar like leopards. Doing so, he said, will help Cao Gen prepare for life in the wild.

 How does this affect China as a country? Well for one, it shows a basis for ecological responsibility, and shows that China is indeed taking steps to save its environment, which is one that has been constantly and continuously degraded by massive economic output. Additionally, it serves as a form of economic investment: the Chinese Vice Premier has been pushing for an expansion of tourism as a major industry in China, and Cao Gen may be the catalyst for waves of tourists considering China as their holiday destination. This shows China's political development in other sectors other than production, and with any luck, preservation of Chinese heritage and ecological responsibility will take the forefront of any future policy in China. Seeing as how Chinese officials have (albeit discreetly) hoped to slow the growth of the juggernaut that is the Chinese economy, turning their focus inwards and boosting national pride and identity will help lead to a stronger internal state able to sustain growth. But remember. Be very careful if you see a funny looking panda. It just might be a human in disguise, waiting to snatch you away from your comfortable zoo life and put you in the wild so you can be snarled at by man-leopards. You have been warned!

Fishy trick: Magic with goldfish stokes anger

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Summary:

Hundreds of millions of Chinese watched this trick being performed on the eve of the new year festival and for many it immediately rang warning bells. Animal activists recall a similar trick that the Japanese did where the fish were fed magnets so that they could be controlled and now activists are worried the same thing is going on here. Those activists go on to say that "it is very dangerous for a country if it advocates abusing animals to entertain its people." They go so far to request that the trick not be performed again but the trick will indeed have an encore on Thursday, where the magician will reveal his secrets due to pressure. The magician of course claims that the goldfish are living happily but people still want experts to exaime the fish.

Significance:

Considering all the animal trafficking that goes on in China, you would think that something regarding goldfish would barely be an issue, if at all. I find it odd that they're willing to hunt animals to extinction but training goldfish to do tricks is apparently crossing the line. Releasing this news story is a great way to make it seem like they're putting their foot down when in reality they're doing nothing. The sheer fact that the magician is willing to reveal his secret should be enough evidence that there's no foul play. There's so many bigger environmental issues to deal with in China and this being the one that makes headlines shows one of two things, either they're ignorant (which I don't believe to be the case), or they've simply become numb to the declining situation concerning animals. But at the end of the day if everyone feels good about themselves then I guess that's all that matters. In the grand scheme of things I see this as something to get people's minds off of the plethora of issues plaguing China. However, I can't completely dismiss this story since it's not without precedent but if the trick does turn out to be legit then a lot of people will feel silly for having ruined the magic. Also, this is clearly a blow to democracy because I think it won't be long before we start seeing goldfish warfare, at which point we'll have to bow down to our new Chinese overlords. But in all seriousness, this shows that the Chinese people can in fact and do care for the environment.

Chinese Police crackdown on "protests"

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Summary:

After calls on the internet for a Chinese 'jasmine revolution', police occupied the various intended protest sites and arrested a small number people and dispersed a small crowd, which actually appeared to curious onlookers, watching the large gathering of police and journalist, rather than political protesters. The men who were arrested shouted they were just bystanders while being dragged away by the police. None were seen shouting political slogans or doing anything to suggest they were anything other than average citizens. In response to the protest calls, the government blocked the word 'jasmine' from search engines. Hu Jintao took the opportunity to call for increased internet controls in order to "solve prominent problems which might harm the harmony and stability of the society".

Significance:

The incident, though small, makes an interesting point; even if the people aren't likely to do anything, the government is preparing for the worst. It reveals a great uneasiness among the Chinese government that the people might attempt to replicate the Middle Eastern protests. The Chinese government has since Tianmen square been fervently trying to avoid the rise of an organized opposition and are continually increasing controls and censorship. It remains to be seen if this ever more oppressive controls will actually give steam to opposition movements. For now at least the, Chinese government remains weary of any attempts to organize resistance.

Hospital Bed Crisis for Chinese

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Summary:



Chinese hospital shortages have reached critical heights in recent years, and citizens there are beginning to feel the adverse affects of this phenomenon. The reputed Beijing Children's Hospital, which is designed to treat 4,000 patients at one time, is starting to see such staggering numbers as 7,000 new patients daily. Similarly, the Capital Institute for Pediatrics is seeing more than a 10% increase in the number of patients it sees annually, creating a total of about 1.7 million patients in 2010, as compared to 800,000 in the previous year. The overcrowded hospitals are becoming great challenges for hospital staff members. Forty guards must work night and day to make sure that the swarms of people do not start acting violently, and nurses administer more than 2.5 times the amount of IV's than is called for on average. Doctors are beginning to feel the adverse affects, as they must see at least 100 patients per day, which is taking its toll on the most integral part of the medical system. Furthermore, pediatric hospitals and care are beginning to wane because they provide a very small percentage of a hospital's revenue, and get caught up in more moral and ethical issues than other hospital branches. The Chinese continue to battle the poor health care system, and hope they don't need to feel its effects.



Significance:



This article ties in strongly with the idea of a Communist, and very "strong," type of government. Hospitals quite simply cannot take care of all the people that need medical attention, and focus only on profit margins rather than the care of the needy. Since most hospitals in China are state-run, they feel no urge to be competitive due to a severe lack of alternative facilities or treatment. This also speaks to how large the disparity between the urban population and the rural population in terms of wealth, technology, and medical care, is. This is a major cleavage, and it is obviously evident in the access to medical treatment in China because the article mentions how rural families must travel all the way to the cities in order to get decent medical care. One more idea that is tied into this article is urbanization. In China, obviously, most services and economic facets are located centrally, and are not accessible to the rural population.

Stay Thirsty, my Pandas

In a recent article by the China News Agency, reports of a massive drought across China are being dealt with by the proactively by the government. As of 3 p.m. Thursday, the drought had affected 101.28 million mu (6.75 million hectares) of crops, of which, about 15.06 million mu were severely affected. The drought also left 2.81 million people and 2.57 million livestock short of drinking water.The government has responded by sending out response teams and additionally by raising grain prices to aid farmers who find themselves with a fallow harvest.


This shows government response to crises as this issue is truly a desperate situation for millions of Pandas. Without adequate drinking water, some may die of thirst, and though bamboo is still thriving (thank the Chairman!) wheat crops are suffering heavy losses. In response to this, the government has taken action in accordance with inputs (people needing aid), and have produced outputs (response teams and economic measures). Whether these actions will be enough to stabilize this crisis remains unknown as of now, but it poses an interesting question: how does the response of a country who has complete control over many sectors of production differ from that of a country with a larger private sector? After the distaster with FEMA during America's struggle with hurricane Katrina, surely the Chinese have taken into account the power of a more reliable government based solution. We pandas can only hope that this response will be enough to help save the year's crops.

China's development benefits Southeast Asia

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Summary:

Experts want Southeast Asian countries to consider the benefits that peaceful Chinese development brings to the region. Concerns exist from ASEAN countries (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) that China can put many local businesses at a disadvantage. But experts argue that competition will do more to complement the existing business as opposed to putting them out of business. The China-ASEAN Free Trade Area Investment Agreement came into effect on Jan 1, 2010 and as a result many Chinese businesses have built plants in ASEAN countries. That's right, China is outsourcing! But that will create many jobs and in turn more tax revenue for the governments, with which they can use to improve infrastructure. The real concern comes from the fear that "a stronger China could push the United States out of regional affairs." As a sign of good faith, and to quell fears, experts suggest that China could help with things like disaster relief and epidemics that occur in Southeast Asia. A more unlikely suggestion is that China also increases military exchanges with Southeast Asian countries.

Significance:

This new development is a great step in opening up all of East Asia, not just China, with the rest of the world. If all goes according to plan, China and the ASEAN countries will see a new trend of globalization that will make them a lot more powerful economically on the global scale, not to mention the local level. But this will also mean that international factors will have more influence in the region which has equal potential for harm as it does good. In its current state though, China only stands to gain from this free trade agreement and the only way that it could be hurt by it is if the countries China invests in collapse due to China investing in them. The potential for irony is killing me. But again, the intended purpose of the free trade agreement has the ability to decrease regionalism in Southeast Asia, or maybe do away with it altogether in the more distant future.

As China's economy grows, concerns are raised about whether it can be sustained

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Summary:
As China prepares to rocket past Japan to become the world's second largest economy, concerns abound in growing economic powerhouse that the growth might not sustainable in the long term and that some people are more equal than the vast majority. Real estate prices are climbing at an incredible rate, with average apartment cost in the industrial city of Wuhan being 29 times the average salary. Wuhan, which is considered to be a fairly average city in China, has a booming economy, with local officials setting a goal for 12% annual growth during the next Five-Year Plan. The massive growth hasn't been without problems though. A grey haze caused by pollution hangs over the city and it is so thick one can't see the other the side when standing at the edge of the Yangtse River, which cuts through the city. Economists voice concerns that the growth maybe unsustainable and could potenially lead to economic collapse. They point out that local officials are more concerned with earning promotion and high growth rates look good. This prompts officials to pursue short term wins by buying up land and building infrastructure, but building up substantial debt in the process. And the officials don't have to worry about long-term consequences because they will likely not be around when the system comes crumbling down. Moreover, the lower rungs of society seem to be left behind as they struggle to support themselves among the rising costs of living. If the bottom falls out of the market, there is going to be a lot of very unhappy people in city of Wuhan and all over China.

Significance:
Wuhan's growth and the concerns voiced by economist represent a common concern throughout China. Despite the rapid fire growth, many in China and around the world wonder aloud whether the exponetial growth can be maintained into the long term. A stagnation of the economy in China would be disastrous and could potenially lead to regionalism and foreign interference, a situation all to familiar to anyone well versed in Chinese history. Time will only tell if China can maintain its unprecedent growth or face the consequences of a economic slowdown.

Chinese Premier Stresses Social Progress

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Summary:

In a recent meeting in Xinhua, the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao underscored the relative importance of math, science, education, culture, health, and sports fields in China. According to Premier Wen, "a country's prosperity not only lies in its economic development, but also its social progress." This meeting of the State Council, or Cabinet, was held on January 25, and was meant to report the country's economic and social development blueprint for the next Five Year Plan. According the the Premier, sports and culture have a great bearing on the welfare of the country and its future. Representatives from fields in math, science, and entertainment were invited to give suggestions at the meeting. Participants at the plenary meeting agreed that social development "had taken up an increasing proportion of the government work report in the past few years." In terms of education, much discussion was made about rural education and technological reform in such areas. Public cultural services and medical care options were introduced in regards to the rural areas of China as well.

Significance:

This article represents an interesting idea and notion that China is perhaps starting to become more modern, at least in terms of entertainment and social outlets such as sports. Although the Premier stressed math and science, he also talked about rural reform and innovation. This seems to be a major cleavage in Chinese society, as there are many differences between the urban Chinese and the rural farmers and villagers. Another such cleavage is represented in the cultural makeup of the people in rural areas; many are not of the traditional Han Chinese descent. What I found interesting, however, is that the government seems to be trying to bring the rural areas in closer to the big cities by means of providing them with reform and change. This seems like the opposite of devolution, and it certainly shows the strong unitary state which is China.

Pandas, please get your Nile Fever immunizations!

In a recent article on the World Socialist Web Site fears have been growing that the situation in Egypt is eerily similar to that of China in a certain Tienanmen Square in 1989. Though there is very little chance of open revolution in China, the author puts forth many parallels between the two situations, including media control, oppressive regimes, and a large economic gap (and neither country having an all panda government). The fear is that this event in Egypt will eventually spark a larger scale revolt in the PRC.


This affects domestic issues as a whole, as corruption in government, public discontent, media controls, and even the income gap are all addressed. It also works with Systems Theory, though with an international perspective: included in the input category is now foreign affairs. The stakes however, are different. If the government does not produce an appealing output, then we pandas may get the so called "Nile Fever", and revolt. And trust me. You don't want a panda revolt. They're...revolting. However, it would seem that the threat of a Chinese anti-governmental revolution may be in the minds of many, but very few will dare to stand against the government without any direct form of provocation.
 

Guizhou Governor pledges to increase development in the backward province

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Summary:

New governor of the Guizhou province, Zhao Kezhi, promises to improve the economy of the landlocked province. Zhao was transferred to Guizhou from the wealthy coastal Jiangsu province last year as part the development of the 12th Five-Year Plan. Despite the provinces 12 percent GDP growth over the last five years, the province remains one of the least developed in China, it ranks last in per capita GDP, and lags behind the rest of the country in terms of industrialization. Zhao says he plans to significantly expand the provinces infrastructure by adding 3,200 miles of railroad and 3,000 miles of highways, bringing the two transportation networks up to 5,000 and 4,500 miles, respectively. The governor also plans to take advantage of the provinces ample resources to speed up development. Zhao self stated goal, "The words 'poor' and 'slow-paced' should not be associated with Guizhou when we mention the province. We want to fix our image."

Significance:

Zhao's mandate to improve the poor province illustrates the inequality present in China between the industrialized coast and the agricultural interior, a rising point of contention in a nation still supposedly tied to the ideas wealth equality and redistribution. His success or failure in improving the lagging province could set a precedence among the Western provinces and their approach to economic development. It will also provide an example of the results a more proactive bureaucracy can have on the nation's economic development. Lastly, his efforts could alter the relationship between the coast and interior and how they interact with each other. All-in-all, the results of Zhao's transfere to Guizhou could be an interesting development in the rising economic powerhouse.

Guangdong business owners worried about succession

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Summary:

The owners of many private businesses are getting close to retirement and there is no one to fill their shoes. Their children don't necessarily want to be part of the business world and so they stray from it. In fact, 40.2% of private company owners in Guangdong sent their children abroad for school. By comparison, only 12.6% of private companies in Guangdong have been taken over by the owner's children. Additional statistics say that 51% of private business owners are afraid their children don't want to carry on the family business and 62% fear their children wouldn't be able to carry it on even if they tried. More than 800,000 private businesses exist but these were largely started in the 1970s and early 1980s so many of these people are now nearing retirement. The new generation doesn't want to have to handle the stress of business circles and this may stem from the fact that many in the new generation have attended college abroad. This schooling began even early for some, as far back as elementary school. There is a sliver of hope though as 13.4% the new generation born under the first generation of private business owners have started their own companies.

Significance:

This is a blow to privatization but it may also be good because the newer generation is bringing western ideas over. The west largely embraces capitalism so children that received their education in foreign lands will likely bring these ideals over to China. This also contributes to globalization a great deal as the new generation will have knowledge of the world far beyond what communist China allows in its schools. In the future this can only lead to becoming more connected with the rest of the world. So although some older businesses may go out of business, this does not mean that the idea of capitalism will end in China. What's more is that we can't expect China to become fully capitalist overnight, and if they did their economy would likely collapse because people would start demanding higher wages. These things need to happen gradually and the opening up policy that was started in the 1970s, combined with this new development, is clear cut evidence of that. Just the fact that there's any private businesses in a communist country is cause for celebration. Britain has one of the freest political systems in the world as a result of gradualism and now China must strive to the become the strongest economy in the world by means of the same process.

Chinese Manufacturing Slows In January 2011

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Summary:

In an effort to lower prices in the manufacturing sector over the last year, Chinese government officials inadvertently decreased the expansion of the manufacturing sector and began to slow down its forward progress. This article cites the Purchasing Managers Index, or PMI, to show how the manufacturing sector is slowing. In December, the PMI had dropped a dramatic 1.3% to remain shortly at 53.9. Now, it is barely hovering above the 52.9 mark, which is fairly low for a country such as China. Production, exports, and unemployment all dropped by 2%, but the prices of raw materials continued to be on the rise. According to a research analyst in China, these statistics are a good indication that the economy is slowing remarkably. In addition, China's Consumer Price Index, which measures inflation, rose by 3.3% in the year of 2010. The federal government's intended target was around 3%. Mounting inflation pressure forced the People's Bank of China to adopt more tightening measures. The central government showed its strong arm in this issue by imposing tougher measures in cities where home prices are skyrocketing by increasing the minimum down payment requirement for the purchase of a second home. The Chinese see the positives in this situation, as they note that the current 10.3% economic growth is too high, and they want to avoid a boom and bust cycle at all costs.

Significance:

This article was very interesting in that the Chinese government is trying to eschew a rapid economic growth in favor of a slower, and more gradualistic increase in production, exports, and profits. The idea of a "strong state" is very much a part of this article and situation. The Chinese government is not afraid of stepping into the housing market or manufacturing sector to fix what it sees as problems. This also ties into the idea of a unitary state because the national government, not local or provincial governments, ultimately has the last say. Gradualism, this time in terms of economic growth rather than the formation of a democracy, is also very present in this article. The Chinese government does not want a boom and bust style of economy; instead, it wants a slowly growing, yet always prosperous and profitable economy. The government plays a big role in the development of this economy.