China as a Middle Kingdom - Essay Example

As assumed by Westerners, the docile population of china follows the dictates of central authority failing that of traditions. Generic Chinese lack individualism with group identification is paramount. It has been found that the population of the middle kingdom has been gripped by fervor for modernization and that they take advantage of contemporary economic opportunities in identical ways. Indeed, most Chinese share the goal of harmony and uniformity and foster the image received in the west. However, intersecting this purported centeredness and homogeneity is an immense diversity of people and everyday practices that are not represented outside china. (Susan Debra Blum and Lionel M Jensen, 2002)

China’s Population growth Issues

In the 1960s, there was a threat of mass starvation in China as a result of rapid population growth. This triggered government officials to establish the world’s most extensive and intrusive birth control and family planning methods to reduce fertility and create child families-child methods including the provision of contraceptives, abortions, and sterilization to married couples as well as incentives for couples pledging not to have more than one child.

This program has lowered the population growth in China and encouraged economic growth. The country cut its birth rate from 5.7 to 1.6 children per woman between 1972 and 2009 making China’s population grow at a slower rate than that of the USA. However, despite this success, China still has the world’s largest population adding about 2.1 million people to its population in 2009. It is estimated that around 2033, China will have a population of around 1.46 billion people and then begin a slow decline.

Since china's economic growth in 2009, 400 million Chinese have worked their way out of poverty while 45 percent are still struggling. There is an increasing ‘bride shortage’ in china as a result of the preference for formal children to female children. As a result of fewer children, the average age of china’s population is increasing rapidly and it is estimated that by 2020, 31 percent of the population will be over 60 years old compared to 8 percent in 2009. (G Tyler Miller and Scott Spoolman, 2009 p106)

China’s industrialization

According to China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s industrial economy has been developing in a fast, healthy, and steady way over the past five years amid structural adjustments. China’s industrialization has reached the middle phases.

Since the 16th national Congress of the communist party of china in 2002, the industrial added value increased by 57.9 percent up to 2006. The economy’s production emanating from industries varied between 11.50 % and 12.80% in the years 2003 through 2006. 43.10% of the domestic economy was made up of the added value that came from the industrial sector in the year 2006.

According to the report by NBS, clear improvements have been seen in the internal structure of the industrial economy and rapid industrial economy development has been experienced in different regions of the country over the past few years with Northeast China increasing by 1.6 times while Central China, Western China, and East coast areas increasing by 1.9 times. (chinadaily.com, 2007)