East Asia: Part 2

 

Water Issues in China

•           Flooding

–      Summer monsoons can cause catastrophic floods, and have throughout Chinese history

•      Government built 120,000 miles of dikes, countless levees, dams since 1949

–    These failed in 1990’s, killing thousands of rural dwellers
–    Human activities that prevent absorption of water by soil (mining, logging, farming) worsen floods

•           Drought

–      At least one part of China has drought every year

•      Leads either to crop kills or overuse of aquifers

–    There is a chance North China wheat and corn (and cities) could completely dry aquifers, threatening food security (and leading to plans to bring water from South); Mongolia especially has very few water sources
–    Also, also climate change hit Himalayas, the glaciers are disappearing leading to less dry season water

•           1/3 of population does not have access to safe drinking water (fertilizers, sewage, industrial chemicals biggest causes)

Environmental Issues

•           Concerns come from high population density, rapid economic development and demand for food from degrading land, poor resource management, and ineffective environmental planning.

•           China now competing with Russia for most severe environmental problems on the planet

–      Could actually reverse increasing well being, as many harmful chemicals are released from China’s massive industrial complex

•      Although over the last 10 years, China has begun to take its environmental impacts much more seriously with rapid growth in green buildings, solar, and public transport

•           Air Pollution in China

–      Due to industrialization, energy use doubled in last quarter of 20th century (now the highest emitter of greenhouse gases)

–      65% of energy comes from coal, this is problem

•      Coal mining in China is one of world’s most dangerous civilian occupations, huge environmental impacts

•      Air equally bad in rural areas and cities in East

•      In NE, coal for heating, in SE coal is high sulfur

•      Auto pollution going to get worse

–    Beijing had 1/10 cars of LA, same pollution b/c of leaded gasoline (which they are phasing out).

Three Gorges Dam

•          Largest engineering project in history ( 1.4 miles wide)

–     Makes Chiang Jiang navigable deep into China

–     Its reservoir is370 miles long, flooded 13 cities, 140 towns, hundreds of villages, 1600 factories, 62,000 acres of farm land, archaeological sites

•      Displaced 1.3 million people

•      Silt build up behind the dam will eventually make the electric output miniscule

•          Is causing massive ecosystem change, potentially hurting giant sturgeon

–     Could also be destroyed in an earthquake

•          Much international and internal opposition

–     World Bank even withdrew support; China went ahead anyway

Efforts to Improve Environmental Health

–     A Green movement has emerged

•      Fed by a freer press, social media, higher education and literacy rates

•      Push for environmental monitoring, cleanup

–   A system of permits, incentives, and penalties is being imposed on industry and farming.

•      By government mandate, cars in China will now have as tough or tougher mileage and emission standards than U.S. cars

–     Starting to look at water recycling/sewage processing for cities

•      Also are diverting rivers to major cities to stop aquifer tapping

–   River diversion can lower the quality of water downstream, and destroy natural biological habitats.

 

Environmental Issues Elsewhere in East Asia

–      All countries are experiencing water and air pollution associated with modern agriculture, industrialization, and urbanization.

–      Lots of fish (which is healthy to eat) in diets in the region; but increasing consumption is putting pressure on fisheries worldwide.

–      North Korea

•      Flooding from deforestation

•      Crop failures related to environmental mismanagement have caused thousands to die.

–      Mongolians had severe forest fires in 1990’s.

–      Elsewhere, frequent, manageable rain helps purify environment

•      But auto, factory pollution still bad

–      Japan also can get tsunamis (as in 2011), volcanoes and earthquakes – requires strict building codes

 

Human Patterns Over Time

•         In East Asia, until the 20th century, China was the source of wealth, culture, and technology for the region (as well as much of the world)

•         Not all areas were influenced equally by China

–    Chinese saw Mongolians as alien and uncivilized

–    Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were relatively isolated enough that they developed distinct cultures

A Brief History of China

•         The Beginnings of Chinese Civilization

–    Feudal System 4000 ybp

–    Around 400 BC, the Qin dynasty emerges

•    Unifies China under emperor

•    Broke up feudal land, gave ownership to smaller farmers

•    Salaried bureaucrats, often rising by merit, held much authority below emperor

–   More responsible with levees, reservoirs, other public works

A Brief History of China

•         Confucianism

–     Began 2500 ybp, altered social, economic, and political geography of East Asia

–     Confucius was an idealist, sought to reform government and stop violence

•     Wanted a stable, uniform, enduring society

•     Thought all of society should be based on defined roles and mutual obligations

–   Included respect to parents and government officials, courtesy, loyalty, integrity, and maintaining personal dignity

A Brief History of China

–    Led to a hierarchical, stable model based on patriarchal family

•     Emperor source of all culture and order

•     Elites often ignored their mutual obligations

•     Women were confined to domestic spaces and placed under the authority of others.

•     Merchants sometimes suppressed because of their potential upward mobility; when they were, progress stopped

–  In Southern China, merchants allowed to be freer

China History

•          China’s Preeminence

–      In the tenth century, farming improved, metallurgy flourished, and innovation advanced (printing, paper money, gunpowder, improved rice strains)

•      Highest standard of living of any world region at the time

–    And for several centuries, made them unlikely to trade externally, because few places had goods they wanted.

–      Period includes Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty

•      Late Ming rulers  favored elite interests at the expense of ingenuity and change.  Also thought they were height of civilization.

–    Left ill-prepared to compete with European technology and military.

China History

•          European Imperialism in East Asia

–     In the mid-1500s, Spanish and Portuguese arrive with crops from Americas, leads to population boom in China

–     Europe wanted silks and spices, access to China’s vast market

•      British found the one good Chinese would buy: Opium for South Asia

•      Leads to mid 19th century Opium wars, where China tries to stop Britain from selling opium there

–   Brits, Yanks & Euros win, get trade rights in coastal cities
–   Britain  also gets Hong Kong

–     Decline ensues, Japan becomes the regional power in the 20th century

•      Includes brutal taking of the mainland in WWII era

China History

•          China’s Turbulent Twentieth Century

–     With Qing dynasty collapsing, many parties compete for control

–     Two largest

•     Socialist Nationalist party (Kuomintang or KMT)

–   Led by Chiang Kai-shek, supported by urban upper and middle classes

•     Chinese Communist party (CCP)

–   Led by Mao Zedong, appealed to rural laborers.

–     United against Japan in WWII, fight again after

–     The KMT supported by U.S., but numerically smaller

–     Pushed out by the CCP, supporters fled to Taiwan, establish government in exile

China History

•          Communist Rule

–      The CCP assumed control over the economy and brutally occupied Tibet (Xizang)

•      Mao acts like emperor with unquestioned authority.

–     Led to the reallocation of land and wealth, public works projects, and new opportunities for women.

•      Those who survived better off than before revolution; famine ended in 1970’s

–     BUT, there were enormous human and environmental costs

•      Great Leap Forward contained many ill-advised development projects

•       Cultural Revolution saw educated urbanites killed, sent to country or prison

–     Deng Xiaoping liberalizes China’s economy while maintaining communist political control.

Japan, Korea, Mongolia

–     Japan

•      By A.D. 300, Japan was divided into military clans

•      Ideas and material culture were imported until about A.D. 800, when Japan turned inward and established a feudal system with a rigid class structure.

•      From 1596-1868 Shogun (elite military rulers) take control from Emperor, move capital to Edo (Tokyo).

•      1868, Shogun lose power to Meiji Oligarchs who begin aggressive program of modernization and industrial development in name of Emperor

–   Take all of Honshu and Hokkaido

•      In run up to WWII, take Korea, Taiwan, Manchuria, Inner Mongolia, SE Asia

•      Post WWII, U.S. put in a democratic constitution which forbids a military

–     Korea traditionally a united but largely agrarian society (divided by Cold War); Mongolia long home of herders.

 

Economic and Political Issues

•                     After World War II,

–               Communist regimes of China, Mongolia, and North Korea relied on central planning

•               China, Mongolia have gone through market reforms, though state sector in China still significant

–               Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea established state-aided market economies, where there was private enterprise that received tremendous state support and expertise, that focused heavily on exports.

•               Pattern pioneered in Japan

•               Government arranges loans, stops domestic and international competition, provides production advice, encourages export

–         One of these advancements was kaizen system
»         Parts manufacturers located next to assembly, allows just in time production (no warehouses, catch problems early, share innovation)

Economic and Political Issues

•          Recession

–     In 1990’s, Japan’s growth rate went flat

•     Linked to bad investments, loss of purchasing power in SE Asia

•     Production was over-expanded

•     Struggling companies given loans, eventually banks and companies went under

•     Korea and Taiwan same thing, less extensive.

–     Pressure for performance based wages, women in the workforce, aging population, China’s improved prowess all issues

Communist Economy

•         The Command Economy

–    Changes sweeping, results less than hoped

•         The Commune System

–    Post WWII, land was taken out of the hands of landlords and given to landless farmers.

–    This proved inefficient, farmers were put into cooperatives to share labor and pool resources,  communes

•     Commune leaders lied about production levels, farmers worked more on infrastructure than farming, led to famine in 58-61

 

Communist Economy

 

•          Focus on Heavy Industry

–      Iron, Steel, Infrastructure Equipment emphasized over consumer goods

•     Money came from agriculture sector funds, reselling of food

•     Factory workers guaranteed job for life, but only enough salary to get bare essentials

•          Regional Self Sufficiency

–      To even out regional disparities, each region was supposed to get own industrial, agriculture, service sector

•     Done regardless of practicality

•     Stopped gaining of economies of scale

•     Big waste of money, resources

“Communist” Economy

•          Globalization and Market Reforms in China

–     In the late 1970s, China pursued a more efficient and market-oriented economy

–     Allowed

•     Localized economic decision making

•     Farmers and small businesses allowed to sell goods in markets

–   Improved food supply and distribution

•     Regional Specialization

–     Eventually allowed foreign investment

–     Now is “world’s factory”, home to a market of 1 billion people

“Communist” Economy

•          The Reforms in Overview

–     Responsibility systems gave managers of state-owned enterprises the right and responsibility to improve the efficiency of their operations.

•     Led to coasts specializing in export manufacture, interior on ag and mining

–    Agriculture has changed

•     Responsibility systems also used in agriculture, allowing farming households to choose their crops

•     More food used to feed animals

•     More fruits grown for export; more grain imported

•     Changes in food security include 1) more land being unsustainably farmed 2) increasing purchasing power means foreign food can make up local shortfalls

“Communist” Economies

•          A Market Focus for Rural Enterprises

–     Entrepreneurial rural enterprises, some of which are old communes, have grown and become the mainstay of many rural economies.

•     Now Ό of economy, more employees than government, 40% of exports

–     Many are outside the eye of government; environmental pollution and corruption are rampant

•          Regional Inequality is Rising

–     GDP per capita on the rise, but cities are getting more of that than rural areas

–     People are leaving provinces without coast, agriculture potential and mining

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