China: Government and control
- Hello everyone. This task we will be looking at China.
- It is not something that we study in the politics course as we focus on the UK and the option we have chosen is America. The other option is called Global Politics which is mostly focused on Europe and other democracies around the world.
- I should state that while the video and articles are fairly negative on China, there are positives too and I wouldn't want you to get the impression that all China does is destabilise the world and lock its people up. China has become the second largest economy by working very smartly and very hard. More people have been taken out of poverty via China's impressive economic growth than ever before in all of history. That is a world class achievement. However, it is just a shame that it also fears free-speech and thought.
- We do not get a chance to look at totalitarian regimes such as China, which is a shame.
- Therefore, I though it would be a useful opportunity for you to have a watch of a 10-minute documentary made by The Economist on the issue of the Uighurs. A muslim minority of Chinese people who mostly live in the province of Xinjiang, in the far north west.
- While I will not make too many pronouncements on what is going on there due to the secrecy the Chinese state inflicts on the region, the reporting does allow you to get a glimpse of what China fears and how it goes about solving the issues of control. Hong-Kong and Taiwan are clearly in China's cross-hairs. And Chinese and Indian soldiers have been killing each other up in the Himalayas as the two nuclear-powers start squaring up to each other like two playground bullies.
- In addition are a couple of recent articles that discuss China's new style diplomacy called "wolf-warrior" diplomacy. Sounds stupid but is anything but I'm afraid.