Welcome to China
Background
China has a five thousand year history, during which its large empire was ruled by many kingdoms and dynasties. It is one of the earliest civilizations in the world. China was responsible for many of civilization’s most famous inventions, including gunpowder, the compass, paper, movable print, and silk. The Chinese even invented an early earthquake detection system. Of course China is well known for the Great Wall, which is 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles) long, took over one hundred years to build, and was designed to prevent Mongolian invasions. The Great Wall is the only man-made structure that can be seen from space. In Beijing, the Forbidden City, which is the compound where the royal family lived for centuries, has 9,999 rooms. However, China is much more than its famous tourist attractions. Shanghai is one of the most prosperous cities in China and a world trading port. Hong Kong, another major economic power, was colonized by the British and returned to China in 1997. Fuzhou, an important agricultural province in southern China, is the home state of many current Chinese immigrants. China has a long history of strong leaders, including Qin Shihuang, Liu Bang, Qianlong, Kangxi, Mao Zedong, and Deng Xiaoping.
China Today
China has the world’s fastest growing economy. It has an abundance of natural resources, which is its greatest advantage. China also has the world’s largest population, so there are many laborers available for economic growth. However, China’s population is also its biggest disadvantage, because the people consume so many resources. To limit population growth, China instituted the One Child Policy over 25 years ago. In spite of this, it is common for families, especially those from rural areas, to have several children. Such families are penalized and must pay fines for each additional child. China has a communist government mixed with some elements of capitalism, which Deng Xiaoping introduced into the economy. Deng said, “It doesn’t matter if a cat is white or black as long as it can catch the mouse.” China is now one of the world’s superpowers. The Chinese people were excited and proud to host the Summer Olympics in 2008. China does not recognize Taiwan as a separate country. From China's point of view, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China are like conflicting brothers from the same family. The mainland Chinese believe that Taiwan is still part of China, but the Taiwanese people consider themselves to be an independent nation.
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