MAATSCHAPPIJ EN ACTUALITEIT
CHINA
GEOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE
Many maps identify Taiwan as a Chinese province -> political problems.
Paracel islands = Maritime territories that are claimed by China, but internationally not recognized
so.
Diverse geographical landscape. China divided in three parts:
- Grassland in the east of the country
- Steppes in the west of the country
- Mountains surrounding the steppes.
The Long river (Changjiang) divides the country into the north and south -> has an important political,
agricultural and linguistic dimension.
The north has a pretty much coast line, while that of the south is more wrinkled. The wrinkled coast
line is beneficial because it provides for a natural protection for harbours. As a result, most of the
Chinese harbours lay in the south.
Seas: Bo Hai, Dong Hai and Huang Hai
Taiwan: Has no natural protection for its harbours. Most important harbour is the harbour of Jilong.
Chinese islands: Taiwan, Hainan Dao, Chongming Dao, Penghu Islands.
The authorization of some islands up to discussion between China, The Philippines and Malaysia.
China has thee river systems:
- The Black River system: Almost permafrost. The border of Russia.
- The Long River system
- The Yellow River
Tibetan Plateau
Tien Shan region (Uyghur population)
Gobi Desert, Taklimakan Desert
Cotton production at the Oasis.
DEMOGRAPHIC LANDSCAPE
Pre-Han dynasty demography not known. 60 million habitants during the Han dynasty.
17th century growth in demography due to technical advances, introduction to new food, better
healthcare
Drop of population due to war at the beginning of each new dynasty.
1949 = Creation of the People’s Republic of China.
The Great Reform in the 1970s resulted in a decrease of population. The perception that the Chinese
population was growing too fast, and something had to be done -> one-child policy.
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,Mao Zedong was actually in favour of having many children. Manpower was needed to rebuilt China
after mass destruction due to war and poverty. But later on, manpower is seen as not a good tool to
revolutionise China, but instead an industrialised industry -> so less people needed for the work that
needs to be done, and also less work available for the decreased population.
But at first, instead of a one-child policy, there was a policy to have children at a later age and also a
longer period in between pregnancies -> but not an official imposed law, rather a campaign.
The children who were born at the beginning of the Republic of China, they were at child bearing-age
-> scared because many people will also result in many babies -> the start of the one child-police in
1979 -> also the beginning of the industrialisation of China. So the policy has nothing to do with
Communism, because China had already left communism behind at that point.
Postponing the marriage age from 18/20 to 20/22. But China is a diverse country, so the laws were
different in different regions. Many exceptions to the rule based on gender of the first child, health
and ethnicity. Minority groups were usually allowed to have up to three children.
Despite the one child-policy, the male/female ratio has not changed. What has changed, is that China
has become more urban. -> a connection between a decrease in population and urbanization.
The idea is that with the One child-policy, the estimation was to have 1.1 billion people by 1980.
Stabil death rate since 1960. But slowly an increase in death rate due to aging in some cities like
Shanghai.
The goal for Asian countries 2010-2050:
- China and Japan are aiming for a decrease of population by 2050
- Southwest Asian countries are aiming for a large growth in population by 2050 -> cheap labour
countries
- Central-Asia an enormous young population is growing
By survey, Chinese people prefer 1 or 2 people themselves -> that’s why 1.5 policy is made. Children
needed for social security (taxes). But children cost more money in an industrial environment.
Miscalculations of population goals due to many exceptions and regional different. Miscalculations
because extra children were sometimes being hidden and not registered. So the child legally does not
exist for the Chinese government, and cannot be counted -> Those illegal children end up marrying
fellow illegal children, and end up making more illegal children.
Male dominant population as something Asian, but China not of the worst.
Gender equality in China not one of the best in Asia.
ETHNIC LANDSCAPE
Han people vs. non-Han people. But even diversity amongst one individual ethnicity.
More influential ethnic groups live in urban areas, and the more marginalised people tend to live
more in the periphery.
Minzu = Ethnicity
There are about 50 ethnic groups in China, and they have been defined in the 1950s. Influenced by
the Soviet Union under Stalin who faced the “problem” that they had a big territory that was multi-
ethnic, and they need to govern them. So the Chinese wanted to know the people in the territory
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, and define them. Those ethnicities are based on common language, territory, economy and
psychology. The people were being questioned and had to define themselves. But if relatives said
different things, they ended up in different ethnic groups even though they are first grade relatives ->
identity making as something self-inflicting. More division between the population.
The reason why they are so many Han people, is that because Han culture is the basis of modern
Chinese culture. And its due to expansion that people have been integrated into Han identity -> they
have been “Hanified”. While the other areas were being considered Chinese territory at a much later
time -> a not “Hanified” region.
Autonomous region for large ethnic groups ex. Inner-Mongolia. But there was already an
autonomous region before the People’s Republic of China (Neimenggu Zizhiqu = Mongolia, which
was the split up between Mongolia and Inner-Mongolia).
Inner-Mongolia was a political decision due to better agriculture in that region.
Mongolia then as a satellite-state of the Soviet Union, and then later abandoned once the Soviet
Union split up.
5 autonomous regions in total:
- Neimenggu Zizhiqu
- Xinjiang Weiwu’erzu Zizhiqu disconnected from their Central Asian brothers and sisters, and were
defined differently by the Chinese government.
- Ningxia Huizu Zizhiqu
- Guangxi Zhuangzu Zizhiqu
- Tibet (Only recognized as an autonomous region in 1965. Recognized as a result of the ‘Great Leap
Forward’. The Chinese communes that were first installed in Han China, were not brought to the
communes at the same speed or time because their culture were not seen as developed enough.
They were revolts against the Han. Tibet is on the border of India so the Indians send soldiers to Tibet
-> Dalai Lama flees to India)
Revival of Mongolian nationalism in 1993 in Mongolia and Inner-Mongolia.
But the area that is inhabited by ethnic minorities is larger than the area inhabited by Han Chinese.
Division creates ethnic nationalism, that may find collaboration outside the borders ex. Uyghurs and
Central Asians + Inner-Mongols and Mongolians.
But the good thing of ethnic recognition is that China recognizes its diversity.
Han Chinese imposed in schools.
Anti-rightist Campaign = Chinese government against minorities who were against collectivization.
Han immigration to Taiwan since 17th century, despite indigenous population. Nowadays trying to
include the indigenous population more into mainstream society and politics. Promoting of
indigenous languages and cultures.
Deliberate democracy = The government goes into deliberation with the people, more specifically
the indigenous people.
SOCIAL LANDSCAPE
Social inequality in China with very few super rich people and many super poor people.
The middle class in China has in overall been non-existent, but growing since the 1980s.
The social aspect in the texts of Confucius is divided in two types of people: The Shang (upper class)
and the Xia (lower class). A ‘Junzi’ was someone who was known with the Confucius texts, and those
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