China in the News

[Anonymous]

Today, the Daily Breeze made a report that China is making a surging growth of 11.1%. The report states that officials are being pressured to allow the value of the yuan to appreciate faster. Currently, China is the world's fastest growing mayor economy. Fueled by soaring exports and investments, China soon could over take Germany to become the third largest economy, behind the U.S. and Japan.

[Anonymous]

I guess we were ahead of the "news curve" while in China, since I sort of remember a guide telling us something like that. I think I wrote down " China would over-take Germany to become the world's third largest economy by mid-year 2007." Looks like they are ahead of schedule. Interestingly, the article states that " While most economists called the quarterly growth figures strong, they said they were distorted somewhat by the government injecting money into the economy..." I think we injected some $$$ into their economy as well! I know I did. The statistics bureau said retail sales rose 15 percent, and the recent 2.7 rise in consumer prices was partly due to rising food costs.

[Anonymous]

Just as I predicted at our debriefing, I am much more of aware of China, and it seems that so is the media. I have heard several stories on the radio coming to work the past week. I will share them with you, individually of course.

Last week the Shanghai composite was down, and all the analysts were commenting on how quickly markets around the world began to also take a down turn. They all sounded surprised.

[Anonymous]

Apparently the Chinese are now in the business of making aritifical snow.

[Anonymous]

While we were in China a caught a brief story on BBC related to China and copy right violations. According to the U.S. China is the one of the biggest violators of our copy right laws in the U.S.. Before movies even hit the theaters in the U.S. the DVD version is hittting the streets in China. Same thing with music. The U.S. is filing a complaint with the WTO. China says we are just bitter over the trade deficit.

[Anonymous]

Last week Newsweek ran its green edition in honor of Earth Day. China won the distinction for having the dirtiest water and air in the world. In their record-breaking attempt to become a leading political and economic world power, China has had to frequently ignore the disastrous environmental consequences. Even the experts have no easy answers on how China can continue it amazing economic leap without destroying its natural resources and the environment.

One article “Where China’s Rivers Run Dry” describes Beijing’s lack of water supply since it lies on the parched North China Plain. Ironically the Olympic Aquatics Center with its flowing, wet walls stands in contrast to the real situation. The Newsweek photograph of the dry riverbed of the Yellow River highlights part of the problem: the drying up of China’s river system.

Another problem is that 70% of the country’s remaining rivers are severely polluted; only 278 out of 661 major cities in China have sewage-treatment plants. The article maintains that “you can drive a hundred miles in any direction from Beijing and never cross a healthy river.

The second Newsweek article was Fareed Zakaria’s “The Case for a Global Carbon Tax” which suggested that getting China to curtail its coal use was an almost impossible task. Even though coal is the dirtiest source of energy around, it is also the cheapest. In this breakneck push to become a leading economic power China is very dependent on coal.
. Unfortunately, the environmental experts cannot yet suggest a cheap substitution for this resource. Therefore, the developing countries probably will continue to use it rather than do anything to undercut their economic growth.

[Anonymous]

When we were in China last year, we all noticed the humorous bad English translation on signs everywhere. I was wondering if anyone from this year's trip noticed the same. I wonder how they're going to clean up all those signs before the Olympics

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/04/19/china.olympics.ap/index.html

[Anonymous]

Kathryn,
I too remember the many signs... in fact I use them as a lesson plan in my language arts program. We discuss our personal writing and what we want others to glean from us personally and educationally from what we present as our finished works. Then I show them some of the signs that we took pictures of last year. Many of the students break out in giggles. I say “exactly”. Then we talk about the difficulties of learning another language and the importance of getting help before publishing in our own language and certainly in a second language. It is a valuable lesson. I hope that they (the Chinese) are able to work toward that for the Olympics. I could see an obvious attempt to clean up the city from last year to this.

[Anonymous]

Sunday, April 8, 2007; LA Times
“Schools of China, U.S. are exchanging lesson plans”
Great article says that the partnerships between America specifically the United States and China are the Yin and the Yang of education. It focuses on the changes in the Chinese classrooms and the influx of visiting American teachers. A good read.
[Edit by="cashb on Apr 29, 8:32:49 AM"][/Edit]

[Anonymous]

China’s progression in military and weaponry are not surprising. They are quickly
growing and this is a natural progression, however, it is a bit unsettling that the fastest growing country in the world also has the largest military and their technology could place us in a very compromising position soon if not already. It gives me pause, what have all of these other nations felt about our weaponry for all of these years?

[Anonymous]

Theresa, we could discuss the difference in the educational progression of the
Chinese verses the United States in our Power Point for the class. Perhaps we could do a ratio of the engineering graduates and the population. I am sure that ratio for China will out! See you soon.

[Anonymous]

I know that many have a venturesome approach to new foods and that I am not one of those people. However, I can understand the difficulty that some have with trusting the food with regard to health and cleanliness issues. After a second trip to China, I am cognizant that my opinion comes from personal issues regarding food and health while many in our group were more than fine with all the choices they encountered. The street vendors in China are what give me the most pause. Once again, I have friends who ate worms and scorpions!

[Anonymous]

Kate and Cathy,
Thanks for the idea of the Olympic website… I think I’ll steal the extra credit idea
and perhaps post it on my Edline as well. I have already given my students extra credit for finding mathematical information about China. This would be a good addition. Thanks to you both.

[Anonymous]

I find it interesting that we are discussing diplomatic visits in respect to the Olympics
when so many are looking into education parities between China and… I hate to sound like a disgruntled teacher but, I wonder if China is also experiencing the devaluation of education in proportion to more sensationalized careers (to use the term loosely) like sports?

[Anonymous]

Cathy, I was struck by a program that my husband was watching last night about
Hitler’s visions for a great city. He glommed on to the greatness in other societies. He began construction on a grandiose coliseum, among many other examples… I was struck by the symbolism that he used; the most famous symbol was a Chinese symbol prior to being used as a Nazi symbol. The great city Hitler planned look a great deal like the Forbidden City as well. Perhaps this warrants looking into.

[Author]

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