Transcript Document 7278246

East Asia-People’s Republic of China
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Background
Largest population in world with 1.27 billion
1/5 of all mankind are Chinese!
Land area of China slightly larger than US
Major player in world politics, permanent member
of the UN Security Council
– Dominant culture in East Asia, influencing
religion, art, philosophy, and culture
 1949
Mao Zedong led successful Communist
revolution which fundamentally changed East Asian
politics
– History of centralized empire and strong governmental
power punctuated by periods of chaos and disunity
– 19th C Chinese history
 Western
imperialism,
 unequal treaties,
 extra-territoriality,
 revolution,
 internal upheaval,
 100 years of warfare,
 Chinese Nationalist Revolution 1911
 Chinese Communist Revolution 1949
China: Physical Map
 Arid
China- (Outer China) Tibetan Highlands,
Xinjiang province, and Inner Mongolia
– Tibetan Highlands
 occupies
1/4 of Chinese land area but sparsely populated
 vast area of high, barren mountainous plateaus averaging
12 K to 15 K feet high
 source of several great Asian rivers, i.e. Brahmaputra
(India); Mekong (Southeast Asia); Chang Jiang (Yangzi in
China); Huang He (China)
 around edges are world’s highest mountains, Himalayas,
Karakorum, Kunlun Mts..
 sedentary farming growing barley, root crops, grazing sheep,
goats, yaks in grassy highlands
 Chinese
political control of Tibet since Yuan
Dynasty;independent from 1912-1951
 Lamaism (variant of Buddhism) predominant
religion of Tibet
 Tibetan revolt in 1959 against Chinese rule; Dalai
Lama, spiritual leader of Tibetans fled to India
where he lives in exile
Tibetan Landscape
– Xinjiang province
north of the Tibetan highlands
 population of 18 million
 consists of two large basins- Tarim Basin and Dzungarian
Basin (Juggar Basin)
 very arid and dry land enclosed by high mountains on three
sides
 elevation varies from below sea level at the Tufan
Depression to 6,000 feet in other areas
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 population
concentrated around oases along edge of Tarim
Basin, fed by snowmelt streams
 site of the Old Silk Route from Roman times to 19th with
Lanzhou, as the main city of region
 PRC opened up irrigated land for state farms growing cotton
in the region
 other minerals like coal, iron, petroleum found there
 area historically contested by Russia and China
 nuclear facilities at Lop Nor, strategically sensitive site
Xinjiang Province
– Inner Mongolia
 part
of China historically and separate from the Mongolian
People’s Republic, a former Soviet satellite
 located north and west of the Great Wall
 majority of population are now Han Chinese, much
intermarriage with ethnic Mongolians
 area received 5 inches of rain per year, too little for most
agriculture
 traditional life of Mongolian tribes herding sheep and goats,
riding horses and camels, fast disappearing
 city of Baotou (1.2 million) expanding as an industrial
center producing iron and steel
 Humid
China (China Proper)
 core
area of China, densely settled south of the
Great Wall
 also known as China Proper
 Division between North China and South China
separated by the Qingling Mts which protect South
China from bitter cold north winds in the winter.
– North China Plain
 North
China as a continental climate with cold, dry
winters and humid summers
 flat level land with non-irrigated agriculture
practices in most of the region
 Northern Chinese people are taller, heavier, have
more Mongoloid features, eat noodles, and speak
Mandarin
 oxen,
mules, donkeys and horses uses as draft
animals to plow fields historically
 annual precipitation of 17-21 inches of rain per
year
 Great Wall approximates the 20 inch rainfall line,
separating the pastoral people of the steppe from
the people who practice sedentary agriculture south
of the Great Wall
 weather highly variable with droughts and floods
frequent
 areas dominated by Huang He River, Yellow River,
“China’s Sorrow” whose level is higher than the
surrounding land!
 Huang
He has changed courses many times over the
years
 uplands of North China plain the site of loessland,
fertile yellow earth from the Huang He
 earthquakes can be enormous problem in North
China plain
 wartime base came of Mao Zedong in Yenan
North China Plain
– South China
 warmer
climate with abundant rainfall and lush, green, fields
 sub-tropical, humid climate, punctuated by hills and river
valleys
 Southern Chinese are shorter, darker, and speak a variety of
regional languages, particularly Cantonese
 Mandarin increasingly used in South Chinese
 three major basins of region are the Lower Chang Basin on
the coast; the Middle Chang Basin near Wuhan; and the
Red Basin in Sichuan province
 Red Basin contains more than 100 million people, very
productive and fertile agricultural area with good irrigation
going back 2,000 years
 Chang
Jiang (Yangzi River) is broad and deep
with a swift current, navigable by ocean-going ships
to Wuhan and Chinese vessels to Chongqing in
Sichuan province
 Guangzhou Delta (Canton Delta) in south along
the Xi (West River)
 densely populated area of China today
 Construction of the Three Gorges Dam to generate
power and control flow of Yangzi River
 Displacement of 2 million residents
South China
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
– Southeast Uplands
 area
of hilly, low mountains that breaks up the land
 transportation and communication problems
 historically an area inhabited by bandits and outlaws
 agriculture practices along river valleys
 seafaring tradition of coastal Chinese
– Yunnan and Guizhou provinces
 high
mountainous plateau
 many hill tribes live in region
 Guizhou famous for distinctive and beautiful mountains
that attract tourists today
Yunnan and Guizhou
– Manchuria
 area
northeast of the Great Wall
 homeland of Manchus who ruled China from 17th to 20th C
 migration of Han Chinese to Manchuria to engage in
agriculture and farming
 area of heavy industry, coal, steel, heavy equipment, mining
 good soils but short growing season, marginal rainfall
 grow soybeans, kaoling, millet, barley
Manchuria
 Urban Areas
of China
– Chang Jiang (Yangzi) group:
 Chengdu
(3 mil);
 Chongqing (7 mil) wartime capital of Nationalist China
 Wuhan (6 mil) heavy industrial city
 Nanjing (2.8 mil) former capital of Nationalist China
 Shanghai (13 mil) the main overseas trading and
commercial center of China and focus of Western interests
historically.
– North city group:
 Beijing
(11 mil) capital, administrative, and cultural
center of China;
 Tianjin (8 mil) main port of Beijing
 Xian (4 mil),ancient capital of China known as
Chang-an
– Manchurian group
 Dalian
(Port Arthur/Darien) major port for
Manchuria, historically under Russian and later
Japanese control
 Harbin, a heavy industrial center
 Shenyang (Mukden) capital of Manchuria and
major rail terminus
South China group
 Guangzhou
(Canton), the major trading/commercial
port of Southern China;
– Hong Kong and Macao
 Hong
Kong was British colony turned over to China in
summer 1997
 Financial, commercial, tourist, and manufacturing
center
 Manufacturing moving to Shenzhen across border
 Macao, Portuguese colony due to revert back to China
in 1999
 Macao, transit trade with China, fishing, and gambling
casinos
China’s Major Cities
 Population
Policies
– Growth of the Chinese population
Chinese Population Density
– Population distribution
 highly
uneven with most population located in humid
eastern part of country from Manchuria to Guangdong
 high per capita density of population
 Han Chinese account for 93% of total population
 government recognizes 55 different minority populations
– Population control
 Mao
Zedong held “pro-natalist” position on population
growth in accordance with Marxist views
 huge growth in Chinese population led government in
1970 to radically change its policies to reduce population
growth
 initially
government promoted family planning,
encouraged couples to marry later, extend intervals of
children
 in 1979 PRC promoted “one child family” program
 benefits of following government program include
better living conditions, improve educational
opportunities, improved employment opportunities
 penalties for not adopting “one child family” include
heavy psychological pressure for forced abortions and
use of the “granny police.”
 program has been successful though momentum of
population growth difficult to arrest
 repayment of benefits
 care of elderly parents and “little emperor” syndrome
 Economy
of China
– Agriculture
 70%
of the labor force engaged in agricultural activity
 energies focused on production of food crops
 in western China pastoralism historically dominant, but Han
Chinese now moving to arid west to grow wheat,
 barley, and maize in oases and river valleys
in southern China and Red Basin, paddy rice is dominant
crop; rice terraces common
 double cropping common with first rice crop planted in
May and harvested in August; second crop planted in
August and harvested in November
 agriculture in northeast productive and more mechanized,
growing wheat, maize and kaoling
 rice
rotated with maize and interplanted with vegetables
in north, winter wheat planted in fall, harvested in spring
 broad range of supplemental crops grown for local markets
such as vegetables, melons, and soybeans used to make
bean curd (tofu)
– Agricultural Reform
 early
years dominated by massive land reform, transferring
land from rich landlords to poor peasants
 Great Leap Forward and establishment of communes
controlling all aspects of living and production
 late 50’s resulted in massive agricultural failures due to
bad weather and misguided governmental policies
 14 to 26 million people starved to death in famines
 responsibility
system established in 1978 with peasants
obligated to produce a specific amount of crops sold at
regulated prices; additional production over this amount
sold at market prices by producers who can keep the
revenue
 major increase in income of rural farmers
– Industry and Regional Growth
 industrial
production secondary to agricultural
development
 goal was to achieve regional self-sufficiency and
equitable geographical distribution of industry
 PRC well endowed with raw materials and minerals
 large production of coal in Loess Plateau
 significant producer of oil in Manchuria, northern
Chinese border area
 large
producer of iron ore but its grade is not high
 produces tin, zinc, and other minerals
 centralized planning located industrial sites at Baotou,
Xian, Lanzhou, Wuhan, Chongqing, and Chengdu
 most centralized industries not efficient, high labor and
welfare costs, poor quality goods
 dramatic industrial changes in 70’s with small to
medium size firms allowed to become more responsive
to market conditions
 state-owned firms shedding surplus industrial labor,
creating hardship on workers who lose pensions and
health care
 regions given more autonomy to produce products
 foreign investment pushed by CCP authorities reversing
hostile attitude toward foreign firms
 Special
Economic Zones (SEZ’s) created in 1979 to
increase production and exports
 favorable tax benefits for foreign firms, cheap labor,
government support of infrastructure
 Shenzen, Xiamen, Shanghai particularly successful
located on coast
 Hong Kong transferred to PRC in July 97
 PRC following a policy of “one country; two systems”,
allowing Hong Kong significant political autonomy so as
to not kill the goose that laid the golden egg
 China enjoying explosive economic growth as a result of
reforms of Deng Xiaoping- 10-12% per year
Hu Jintao
General Secretary of the
Chinese Communist Party
– Contrast of Beijing and Shanghai
 Beijing,
the center of government and administrative
 importance of Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square
 typified traditional Chinese outlook as a conservative,
orderly, ethnocentric culture
 Shanghai represents outward-looking and commercial
nature of Chinese situated at delta of Chang Jiang and
center of trade and commerce
 Pudong industrial area favored by CCP authorities,
booming growth and construction Shanghai World
Financial Center will be tallest building in the world after
the year 2000
– Hong Kong
 Hong
Kong ceded to Britain in 1842 as a result of the
disastrous Opium War with China
 HK consists of Hong Kong island, several smaller
islands and the New Territories on China mainland
HK historically served as a major trading entrepot for
East Asia
 HK lost its commercial links to China after the
Communist Revolution in 1949
 HK embarked on a very successful shift to
manufacturing inexpensive consumer goods for the
export market, i.e. ivory carvings, jade, jewelry, Chinese
furniture
 entrepreneurs
from Shanghai set up textile and other
factories in HK using cheap labor after 1950
 HK also produced cheap consumer goods like toys,
plastic products, watches, low cost electronics
 HK later developed into a major global banking and
financial center
 sons and daughters of HK studies finance and banking at
US / UK institutions
 high income also derived from tourism
 Britain agreed to transfer HK to China in July 1997
initially some capital flight and human flight to
Singapore, Vancouver, BC and other Chinese cities
 most
HK residents stayed in place
 China took over HK on the basis of the formula of “one
country; two systems”
allowed HK to maintain its own political and economic
system
 HK practices a free-wheeling brand of capitalism with
very low taxes, good business environment, and
 strong governmental support for business
 HK now serving as a model for future PRC growth
 Chinese unwilling to kill the chicken that lays the
golden eggs
 Macao, Portuguese enclave on China mainland,
scheduled to return to China in 1999
Japan
 Background
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Japan is the richest country in Eastern Asia
isolated from rest of the world under Tokugawa rulers
until arrival of Commodore Perry in 1850’s
after initially opposing modernization and development,
Japan under Meiji emperor promoting economic growth
and development
rapid economic growth in 19th and 20th C
democratic development of Japan into 1920’s then rise of
militarism that led to WW II
dramatic post-war economic growth in Asia
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Japan is a relatively small country about the size of
Italy or Montana
Japan consists of four main islands—Hokkaido,
Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and several smaller
islands i.e. Ryukyu Islands to south and Bonin
Islands to west.
Lost control over Kurile Islands and Sakhalin after
WWII
think of Japan as an industrial giant with crowed
cities, bustling ports, modern factories, clogged
highways
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Japan also a land of soaring mountains, fiery
volcanoes, etched valley, and fast flowing rivers
40 active volcanoes today
located in active earthquake zone. Tokyo
earthquake (8.2) in 1923 killed 140,000 people;
quake in Kobe in 1995 (7.2) killed 5,000 people
75% of land area mountainous with slopes of 15
degrees or more
Japan: Physical Map
Niigata Plain
Kanto Plain
Osaka Plain
Nobi Plain
Main Regions of Japan
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Hokkaido
northernmost island with over 20 percent of the land but
only 5 percent of the Japanese population
produces only 3.8 percent of total GDP
island is hilly with poor accessibility until recently
direct rail link through the Seikan tunnel under the
Tsugaru Straits
improved air services benefiting economy of the island
fishing, coal mining, and forestry traditional economic
activities
farming based on new breeds of rice together with
dairying and other crops replacing traditional industries
new manufacturing enterprises include wood
processing, some shipbuilding, and an oil refineries
tourism expanding since 1972 Winter Olympics at
Sapporo
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Northern Honshu
northernmost Honshu (Tohoku) has a relatively sparse
population
8 percent of the total population on 18 percent of the
land
density of population is twice that of Hokkaido
central mountains make crossings between east and
west difficult
region is Japan's leading rice producer with 25 percent of
the total crop
rice farming on reclaimed coastal lands
fishing and forestry also important
since the 1960s, government has encouraged manufacturing
in the region
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Central Honshu
Tokyo region (Kanto) is the heart of Japan in terms of
population and economic activity
31 percent of the population produces 37 percent of
Japanese GDP on under 10 percent of the land
cities of Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohama fuse into a
huge urban complex around Tokyo Bay
Tokyo, center of finance and other service industries
Yokohama, Japan's busiest port
oil refineries, steel mills, chemical plants, and power stations
along the waterfront
Kanto plain around Tokyo still grows much rice
fruit, vegetables, poultry, and pigs are also produced for the
nearby markets
volcanic mountains nearby used for winter sports facilities;
hot springs attract tourists
Kawasaki, center of heavy industry
1997 Winter Olympics in Ngano in mountains
Chubu region to west and north of Tokyo more mountainous
northern coastal section facing the Japan Sea is major ricegrowing district
highway and rail links built through Japanese "Alps."
industrial corridor along Pacific coast connects cities
along the "bullet train" (shinkansen) and major highway
routes
Nagoya, Japan's fourth largest city and the center of a
textile region that also makes autos (Toyota), oil refining,
petrochemicals, and engineering industries.
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Southern Honshu
Southern Honshu is Japan's second most prosperous
region
mountains include national parks like Mount Fuji, Japan's
highest peak (12,300 ft.), Chubu leads the country in
hydroelectricity generation
three cities dominate the eastern part of this region
Kyoto, (1.5 mil) cultural center and former imperial
capital, center of craft industries such as silk, pottery, and
traditional furniture.
Osaka, the third largest city with (2.5 mil), commercial
center
Kobe, seventh largest city with (1.5 mil), major industrial
port on Osaka Bay.
area changed from a center of textile manufacturing to
major center of iron and steel, chemicals, and
shipbuilding, oil refining, petrochemicals, and auto
making
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Shikoku
Shikoku is a mountainous, small island with only 5 percent
of Japan's land
island has a warm, moist climate, but is isolated by
mountains
northern coasts facing the Inland Sea have been irrigated for
crops; some industrialization as well
infrastructure investments in bridges are helping to connect
the island with the rest of Japan.
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Kyushu
Kyushu is the westernmost island and is connected by tunnel
to Honshu
2/3’s of the island's population is concentrated in the northern
region around Fukuoka and Kitakyushu
center of metal, chemical, and shipbuilding industries
farming and fishing remain important
considerable rice grown in region
double cropping possible
mandarin oranges, tobacco, and livestock are produced on
hills
Kyushu attracted high-tech industries in 80’s
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Ryukyu Islands
Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa extend 650 miles
southward toward Taiwan. islands still have American
military bases located next to traditional fishing and
agricultural settlements
increasing pressure for U.S. military personnel to leave
Okinawa
Japanese Cities
Population
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total population increased from around 90 million in 1960
to 125 million in 1995, combination of low fertility and low
population growth rates will cause the total to peak around
128 million 2000
infant mortality at 5 per 1,000 live births is the world's
lowest rate
life expectancy at 79 years is the world’s highest rate
Japan is in the final stage of demographic transition
aging of the population affects pension provision, medical
costs, and leisure provision for the retired
aging of population also increases firms' wage costs as more
employees reach senior positions
–government
concerned that there will not be enough labor
for industry or funds to support retired elderly people
Urbanization
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Japan changed from a largely rural country with a few
industrial towns in 1920’s to an urban country where
three-fourths of population live in cities in 1990’s (85% of
population rural farmers in Meiji; 45% rural farmers in
1945; now only 3%)
40 percent of the population now lives in the urbanized
zone between Tokyo and Osaka known as the Tokaido
megalopolis
largest cities are Tokyo (26 million), Yokohama (3.2
million), Osaka (11 million), Nagoya (2 million), and
Kyoto and Kobe (both 1.5 million).
Japanese population is remarkably uniform in race and
language
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status of women changing with a greater involvement in
the labor force
more older women entering the labor force
full equality for women still not achieved
women work for lower wages, few attain management
positions, or lifetime employment status.
Economic Development
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Japanese economy experienced massive changes after
World War II
from 1960 to 1990 farming, fishing, and mining—the
primary sector of the economy—declined from 33 to 8
percent of the work force
service sector rose from 38 to 58 percent
manufacturing sector restructured to include more high
tech industries as well as heavy industry
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wartime reforms included dismantling of the militaryindustrial war economy, breakup of the zaibatsu (large
financial combines), land reform in the rural areas
agriculture remains a significant sector of the economy
with strong government support
rice still costs Japanese consumers six times what
Americans pay, and thirteen times what Thais pay
subsidies to Japanese farmers and tariff protection from
world market competition. Japanese people are willing
to pay higher prices because they believe their rice is
better in quality than imported rice.
manufacturing was the basis of modern Japanese
growth in 19th C
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Japanese monarchy and samurai leaders saw
modernization as the only way of resisting colonialism
and make Japan competitive
factories were built in the zone from Tokyo to Nagasaki
heavy industries such as iron and steel, shipbuilding, and
engineering. mining, and textiles were major industries in
Japanese growth
government-business links, cheap labor, large numbers of
small businesses, and growing infrastructure assured
growth
increasing military production after Sino-Japanese War
in 1895 and Russo-Japanese War in 1905
production of naval ships, air force planes, and other
military equipment culminated in World War II
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after the Korean War in early 1950s, the US poured
money into Japan to rebuild its industries and
infrastructure
America an important market for Japanese products
improved transportation technology made it possible to
bring large quantities of oil, coal, and iron ore from the
Middle East and Australia at low cost for Japanese
industry
cheap raw materials and low-cost labor force enabled
Japanese manufactures to undercut heir rivals in the
world's core countries and gain overseas markets
Japanese government (MITI-Ministry of International
Trade and Industry) became centrally involved in
assisting and advising industry
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Japan very dependent on imported oil for 70 percent of
its energy needs
Japanese now place greater reliance on internal energy
sources such as hydroelectricity and nuclear power for
energy
high levels of technology for production enable Japanese
firms to compete in world markets
Japan changing from a country of producers to a country
of consumers
policy of exporting so successful that other countries like
US have run huge deficits of payments to Japan
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value of the Japanese yen currency doubled in 80’s,
making Japan's exports more costly and less competitive
imports became cheaper and consumer demand rose,
more luxury and prestige goods were sold and Japanese
manufacturers moved into these fields, competing with
imported goods.
older industries such as steel, shipbuilding,
petrochemicals, and cement-making suffered
overcapacity on world markets and competition from
newly industrializing countries such as South Korea
Japan has moved great deal of production to offshore
SE Asia to reduce costs but it has consequences for
employment in Japan
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competitive pressures from Asian Tigers (Korea,
Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong) have led to factories
closing in Japan; increase in Japanese investment in
China and Southeast Asia
Japan needs to stimulate its economy today to provide an
engine of growth for domestic market and weak Asian
markets
effect of the “bubble economy”, prolonged recession and
slow growth
Social/Economic Problems
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automobile traffic, small streets, congestion
unplanned sprawl of cities, strip malls, noise, pollution
problem of housing cost and space
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Japanese living space relatively small compared to
US or Europe. US houses typically 2 1/2 times
larger
housing costs 5.7 times a family income in Japan; in
US 3.4 times family income; land expensive
industrial pollution major problem in the 60’s and
70’s; Japanese government has spent billions of yen
to clean up sewage, rivers, and the Inland Sea
high food prices for domestic consumption
Korea
 Background
– Korea was unified state since 7th C, sometimes
invaded, often forced to pay tribute, but never
destroyed as a political entity
– unfortunate geographical position between three
powerful neighbors, i.e. China, Japan,and Russia
– tributary state of China until 19th C
– Developed its own culture and traditions
– invaded by Toyotomi Hideyoshi twice in 16th C
– focal point of Sino-Japanese War in 1985
– part of expanding Japanese empire in 1910
– occupied by Soviet Union in the north and United
States in the south
– two separate states emerged when reunification
efforts failed, i.e. Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea (North Korea) and Republic of Korea (South
Korea)
– Korean War 1950 fought to a stalemate after PRC
intervened in conflict and drove US forces back
across 38th parallel
– both sides heavily fortified with large standing
armies
 Contrast
Between Two Koreas
– North Korea has larger area (46,500 square miles) but
smaller population with 23 million
– South Korea has smaller area (38,000 square miles)
with a population of 48 million
– South Korean political rule has fluctuated between
repressive military governments and attempts at
civilian democracy. Kim Dae Jung, President
– South Korean has a thriving capitalist market
economy with strong economic growth
– North Korea has been a rigidly controlled Communist
dictatorship under Kim Il-sung. (Kim Jong-Il, his son
now rules North Korea)
– both states mountainous and hilly, but North Korea
more rugged than South Korea
– most lowlands found on western side of peninsula
– both countries rise toward eastern side of peninsula
– North Korea has humid continental long summer type
of climate. Very cold in winter
– South Korea has mostly a humid subtropical climate
with shorter winters and longer growing seasons
– both influenced by monsoon climate conditions with
heavy rain in summer
– South Korea able to double crop irrigated rice
– North Korea grows corn as supplemental crop
– most non-agricultural natural resources located in
North Korea i.e. coal, iron, ore, other metallic ores,
forest products and hydroelectric potential.
– North Korean economy has poorly performed due to
heavy Communist controls and lack of incentives
– South Korean economy boomed in 70’s and 80’s to
become one of the Asian Tigers
– South Korea exports electrical equipment and
electronics (Samsung), automobiles (Hyundai), and
iron and steel products from modern plants north of
Pusan
– shipbuilding industries have flourished in South
Korea
– per capita incomes has increase in South Korea from
$100 in 1963 to $8,200 in 1996
– mechanization of agricultural in South Korea freed
farm workers to work in factories producing goods for
export
– US markets crucial to South Korean success
– import-substitution strategy protected Korean
domestic industries from foreign competition while
industrial development concentrated on exporting
– Seoul, capital of South Korea, also primary industrial
area; Pusan and Kwanju also important industrial
sites
– price of South Korean development very high
– working conditions in factories are poor, working
hours are long for low pay, quality of life for
workers less than desirable
– governmental control over business activity has led
to widespread corruption and crony capitalism with
large corporations in close collusion with the
government
– chaebols like (Samsung and Hyundai) are South
Korean mega corporations that account for almost
70% of Korea’s GNP
Taiwan
 Background
– historically island of Taiwan has been a part of
China
– Jiang Kaishek leader Nationalist China fled to
Taiwan in 1949 after the Communist won the
Chinese civil war
– took whole government, national treasures, to
Taiwan
– maintained the fiction that Taiwan (ROC-Republic
of China) represented the people of the mainland
Chiang Kai-shek
– US had bilateral defense treaty with ROC to protect
them from invasion by the mainland
– UN recognized Taiwan as occupying the seat of
China until 1971
– US recognized the PRC as the legitimate government
of China in 1978; prestige of ROC declined as a
result
– issue of Taiwan still complicates US-PRC relations
 Population
– most people are Han Chinese who were born on
mainland or have ancestors in PRC
– native Taiwanese speak Taiwanese (Min)
– Hakka Chinese and small aboriginal population
 Climate
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subtropical to tropical in the south
mild winters and hot summers
rain from October to March
southwest monsoon in summer with typhoons
from June to October
 Economy
– economic growth of ROC spurred by US investment
– land reform in Taiwan helped to stimulate
agricultural production
– ROC has a diversified economy today based on
heavy industry, iron/steel, textiles, and chemicals
– produces electronic parts, personal computers,
precision instruments, telecommunication
equipment, machine tools for export
– highly educated labor force
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Taipei is political, economic, and cultural capital
Kaosiung is a major industrial center
GNP about $12,000 per year
Taiwan classified as a NIE (Newly Industrializing
Economy)
agricultural on fertile western plains and basins
rice is major food crop
overseas fishing fleet fishes Pacific
largest amount of trade with US, Hong Kong, and
Japan; increasing trade with PRC
– significant ecological problems with air pollution
from non-leaded gasoline in cars, deforestation of
mountains and hillsides, and eradication of some
species of animals for Chinese medicines
 Political
Dynamics
– Taiwan has a fledging democracy with relatively free
elections
– constitution of Taiwan changed in 1994 to require a
direct election of the President of Taiwan
– Lee Teng-hui, the first popularly elected President
not from the mainland
– debate over the future of ROC
– is unification with PRC possible on the basis of
“one country two systems” like Hong Kong.
– political problems of annexing Taiwan are more
complicated than they are for Hong Kong
Chen Shui-bian
Tenth-term President of the Republic of China