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Aleida RojasWhen I signed up for this great learning opportunity, I had no idea how this class was going to change my life. Before taking this class, I had never experienced on-line learning and I took it as a personal challenge to learn how to be more confident with online learnig. I learned how to access lectures, reading materials, and most imprtantly, I learned how to use Zoom. All of these items have become very useful now that I am doing online teaching/instruction. I am not afraid of technolgy anymore, and for that, I am eternally grateful.
Besides learning to be more confident with online learning, I also learned so much about China. Before this seminar, I had no idea that China had implemented The Hokou System and that this system had created second class citizens within China. This system was created to control migration but in the end, it led to many social injustices and a lot of urban poverty.
The second most important thing that I learned was the high levels of pollution that China has been experiencing in the last decade. I was very surprised to learn that China's soil and water are extremely polluted. I knew about China's air pollution but I had not idea about the high level of pollution in China's water and soil. The fact that China's Urban growth is happening at a very fast pace is only making things worse. So many villages are being erased to give way to huge Urban centers. I raised the question: How are they growing food? How are they going to feed such a huge population if their soil and water are so polluted? Luckily for China, they do not have to. After they became the second largest economic power in the world, they can afford to buy food instead of growing their own food. Unfortunately for China, this also creates a big problem because they now depend on other countries to feed their huge population.
That brings me to the third thing that I learned about China. Their BRI, belt and road initiative, has allowed China to invest in other countries while at the same time, create new trading posts/partnerships. This initiative is a huge investment. China projects a cost of 1.3 trillion dollars while The Economist reports that this initiative could cost China 4 trillion dollars. By inplementin the BRI, China wants to strenghten is position as a global economic power. But I truly believe that China is implemeting BRI to make sure that they gain trade partners that can help China feed its masses.
Finally, one of the most important things that I learned about China is all the challenges that they face with the increasing labor demand. China is now in transition: they are now moving towards a service economy. This represents a huge problem for China becuase they do not have enough upgraded skilled workers to take over these new jobs. (this is an effect of the Hokou System) China only has 19% of skilled workers and 5% of highly skilled workers and this is not enough to make the transition towards a service economy. If China wants to make experience success, they will have to reform the Hokou System and provide citizens in the country side a better educational system.
The biggest lesson that I take from this amazing seminar is that China has become a powerful giant. But this giant also has giant problems that they need to fix. If this giant falls, the rest of the world will feel its pain. We are members of a global economy, the corona virus is reminding us of that. China and the Unites States depend on each other and for their sake and the sake of the world, they must learn to work together.
Thank you for all your support and for all your help.
Aleida Rojas
Aleida RojasYou are right! While the U.S. has been invested in the Middle East, China has been advancing technologically and militarily. China has become in my opinion, a powerful nation and our country should continue to improve our relationship with them.
Aleida Rojas"Neither carrots nor sticks have swayed China as predicted" The U.S. has tried to contain or control China's influence in Asia for many years. It is increble how the U.S. has underestimated China's power and drive to be the superpower in that region. The U.S. has tried many tactics to control China and all have failed. Now China has become a super power because of its wealth, but a super power because of its military as well. They have become so powerful that they dared to defy international law and they got away with it. China's president is so sure of himself and the power behind him, that he has led China in a way that challenges the U.S. authority in Asia. President Xi Jinping assures that "the Chinese Nation has gone from standing up, to becoming rich, to becoming strong"
I think that the only thing that can stop China is itself. As they poisoned their water, and their soil, China will be facing major obstacles in the near future.They will also become more aggressive as they try to claim more territory and more control over Asia's markets to deal with the lack of food and water at home. The U.S. must become more alert and continue to treat China as an ally, but they can only do that if they treat China with respect and they treat China as an equal. As Colin Powell said " China is not an enemy, and our challenge is to keep it that way"
Aleida Rojas"Neither carrots nor sticks have swayed China as predicted" The U.S. has tried to contain or control China's influence in Asia for many years. It is increble how the U.S. has underestimated China's power and drive to be the superpower in that region. The U.S. has tried many tactics to control China and all have failed. Now China has become a super power because of its wealth, but a super power because of its military as well. They have become so powerful that they dared to defy international law and they got away with it. China's president is so sure of himself and the power behind him, that he has led China in a way that challenges the U.S. authority in Asia. President Xi Jinping assures that "the Chinese Nation has gone from standing up, to becoming rich, to becoming strong"
I think that the only thing that can stop China is itself. As they poisoned their water, and their soil, China will be facing major obstacles in the near future.They will also become more aggressive as they try to claim more territory and more control over Asia's markets to deal with the lack of food and water at home. The U.S. must become more alert and continue to treat China as an ally, but they can only do that if they treat China with respect and they treat China as an equal. As Colin Powell said " China is not an enemy, and our challenge is to keep it that way"
Aleida Rojas1. We had already discusses in previous sessions that China owns a lof of the debt of the U.S. This session says that China is actually in trouble for having acquired so much of the U.S debt. I wonder why China would put itself in that position, was it part of a trade deal?
2. South China Sea: "Trouble Waters", It is very intersting to know that even though The U.N. sided with the Philippines, China continues to ignore their ruling as they continue to claim territory on this area. The fact that the U.S.S. Bedfold passed through the Taiwan strait on July 2018, proves how dangerous the situation is in that region.
3. I was surprised to learn that China would rather spend its money stealing information from the U.S. than ivesting in their own technological advancement. The Fact that China called the U.S. "the biggest Hackers" says a lot about the unstable relations between these two nations. I had no idea that the U.S. had been hacking Huawei for quite some time. How can we accuse them of cyber attacks when we have done the same to them?
4. The tariff wars between the U.S. and China are not new, what I have not heard on the news is who was the biggest winner or the biggest loser in the current tariff war. I know that the U.S. was losing this war prior to the coronavirus scare, how did this afffect the tariff war?
Aleida RojasHi Gail,
The fact that Green Peace is trying to bring some enviromental justice to China is incredibly impressive. They have even adviced farmers to take these chinese coorporations to court. But, even after the Chinese govenrment claimed that they were going to take environmental issues seriously, the courts simply made those cases disappear. I was shocked when I learned that China would need all the wealth of the world in order to pay for their soil clean up. I hope that they do something soon!
Aleida RojasHi Robert,
I was impressed by the number of millennials who simply leave and never come back! The fact that so many members of the "Boomer" generation are so lonely, that they are willing to adopt a 45 years old woman. It is interesting to note that the "boomer" generation is now regreatting having sons because most of the leave and do not come back.
Aleida RojasHi Billie,
I really liked the political cartoon that illustrates how this new generation has to deal with the pressure of work, taking care of their aging parents, taking care of their kids, and compete in a very competitive economy. This explains why so many of them are taking longer to get married and why so many of them do not want to have any children.
Aleida RojasHi Lynne,
I remember watching the news that showed people wearing masks due to air pollution. The images that they showed in T.V. were disturbing. People were not able to drive because they had no visibility. Again, Why is the Chinese govenrment not doing more to solve these problems? Especially if it leads to shorter lives spans, chronic illnesses, and lower production?
Aleida RojasHi Diana,
I was aware of the trash/ recycling that the U.S. was shipping to China. I was not aware of the level of soiul contamination and how it is affecting China's food production. I was in shock! Like you, as I was reading the article, I kept thinking...do they ship this rice to the U.S? I was very concerned when I learned that Chinese Farmers know that the rice is contaminated but they still sell it anyways. All the environmental issues that China is facing today is due to the lack of government regulation. I wish more people in the U.S. would learn about the devastation that China has caused to their own environment and I wish we could learn from their mistakes.
Aleida RojasHi Alison,
All those kids that were left behind in the countryside just so their parents can move to the city and make money! At what point do these parents just stop caring for their children? How are they okay with this? Now, China has to major generations whoi are not being provided for. We have the children and the elderly completely abandoned by a society that has lost its path. I hope that they go back to the Confucious ideals and rebuild their family strcuture before is too late. The only way I see this happeneing is by the govenrment implementing Filial Piety or make the change to a more socialistic system in which the government takes care of the children and the aging population.
Aleida RojasHi Kevin,
I think that it is devastating that China has allowed the loss of so many cultural traits. In their effort of urbanization, they have destroyed so many temples and so many villages that used to carry those cultural values for future generations. The good news is that the government is now encouraging more people to embrase those cultural values by providing some econmic assisstance. I just hope that it is not too late.
Aleida RojasHi Ben,
Before the chinese revolution, farmers were seen as the backbone of the Chinese economy. Mostly in part because of the belief of Cofucianism, and his idea about about respecting all members of societ. The Hokou system changed all of that. It practically divide societ and unfortunately, it led to discrimination and the rejection of countryside values.
Aleida RojasHi Robert,
Those are the same questions that I had when I was doing the reading. Why would Chinese officials encourage this awful system that will in turn affect the nation's economy. It was very disturbing to find out that most countryside people lacke the education or the trainninf to enbrace China's new economic policy. What are they going to do to face those social-economic problems?
Aleida RojasDiana,
I have learned so much about China. Before taking this class, I honestly thought that most Chinese students would want to stay in the U.S. But they go back to China just to find it very difficult to find jobs. Can you help me understand why they go back?
