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Katrina OhAs a teacher, I found the Contemporary China experience to be informative, enjoyable, and valuable. Thanks to Professor Dube’s lectures, I have deepened my understanding of China and am confident that I can do a better job of teaching Chinese history to my students.
In the past, my understanding of China and its history was limited to whatever was written in my students’ textbooks. That was where I was primarily obtaining my information, which meant that lectures were predictable, if not a bit dull. For example, when teaching my AP World students about Mao Zedong’s agricultural reforms, I would tell them that the government seized land from rich peasants and redistributed land to poorer people. But after listening to Professor Dube’s lecture, I now know that the Chinese Communist Party created cooperatives, where farmers were directed to share tools and farm animals with other farmers and that each person would receive a return based on their own contribution to the project. While I was aware that these agricultural “reforms” failed at increasing agricultural output and that mass starvation struck China as a result of these failed government plans, I did not know that the Chinese resorted to cannibalism during the Great Leap Forward. This I learned from a student in the class who had posted this information in the discussion forum. I believe stories like these will pique my students’ interest and enable them to retain the information more readily.
In addition to improving my own content knowledge, this seminar gave me new ideas for classroom lessons. Prior to taking this seminar, I struggled to find a way to make the Cultural Revolution interesting for my World History and AP World History students. Try as I might, I could not find a clip that captured the hysteria that surrounded the Cultural Revolution. At the time, I did not know of any film about the Cultural Revolution. But my search for a memorable clip came to an end when this course introduced me to the film “Blue Kite” by director Tian Zhuangzhuang. Considered one of the greatest Chinese films, “Blue Kite” chronicles the life of a young Chinese boy name Tie Tou, who lives through events like the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. My plan is to show my students excerpts of the. One of the most memorable clips for me was the scene where Tie Tou’s principal and stepfather are being attacked by members of the Red Guard and later when Tie Tou is separated from his mother. Those scenes are just so gut-wrenching that it would be hard to forget about the Cultural Revolution.
Katrina OhChristine, thank you for clearly outlining the pros and cons of the water diversion project in China. I can understand the rationale of the government for proposing a plan to divert freshwater from the south to the parched North by connecting existing bodies of water. But I am shocked by the scale of the plan. China’s government intends to spend 80 billion dollars to build 2,700 miles of waterways comparable to the distance between New York and Los Angeles. Once again, the amount of control the state is able to exercise is a culture shock for me and the willingness of its citizens to the project is something that shocks me. Were something like this to happen in the United States, I imagine there would be a lot of pushback and delay.
Katrina OhThis clip produced by the Financial Times examines Chinese and Japanese approach to conducting businesses in Africa. Compared to Japanese firms, Chinese ones are more aggressive in Kenya. Currently the Chinese have invested in Kenya's largest infrastructure project that will connect Mombasa to Nairobi. Unlike the Chinese projects of 5-10 years ago, current projects are more carefully thought out. The Kenya Railway project is at present on budget and ahead of schedule.
I foresee myself playing this particular clip for my students to illustrate the changes and continuities of long-distance trade. My AP World History course studies post-classical trade routes like the Silk Road Trade Route and Indian Ocean Trade Route that connected China with various parts of the world. I would use this clip to highlight for my students the continuities in long-distance trade within the Indian Ocean World. One can argue that while the volume of trade has substantially increased over time, the actors remain the same, as evidenced by the bilateral trade between Chinese and Kenya.
Katrina OhArticle Title: Australia’s Prime Minister Surprised by State’s Secret Deal With China
Date Published: November 13, 2018
Publisher: New York Times
Link:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/world/australia/victoria-china-scott-morrison.html
Australian government quietly signed a deal with China to participate in the controversial Belt and Road Initiative. This agreement surprised Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who was in opposition to Australia’s involvement in the Initiative. Critics of the deal believe China is using grand infrastructure projects to win friends and exert global influence. Meanwhile, those in favor of the deal, like the premier of Victoria, argue that the deal facilitates trade between the two countries and brings investment opportunities. The larger significance of this deal may be that China has developed a new approach to selling its project, one that sidesteps the national government and courts the states directly.
Katrina OhI watched CGTN Africa's program " Chinese Infrastructure Links African Countries" which featured a positive, more optimistic picture of China's relationship with Africa. The news program discussed the increased trade volume between China and Kenya in recent years and highlighted the positive benefits of China's construction of a two -lane highway connecting Mombasa and Uganda, referred to by locals as the Chinese Road. The news program also included interviews of locals who were asked about the Chinese-funded SGR Rail. Those interviewed appeared eager for the railway line, hoping it would make transportation faster and more affordable. Given that the news programming is state television, I am not at all surprised by the tone of the news. I think it is wonderful that Africa is receiving investment from China wonder what economic growth will look like in the region.
Katrina OhMany of the Chinese individuals interviewed by the Wall Street Journal described the relationship between the United States and China as politically tense and one marked by distrust. A few had more positive remarks about the economic relationship between the two countries, even describing the relationship as "fair." Mr Wang, a doctor with this perspective, explained that the economic interdependence brings more benefits than drawbacks to the two countries. This resource would be good for teaching students to analyze point-of-view of different authors. I could ask students how the occupations and country of residence might influence the statements made by the Chinese people interviewed by the Wall Street Journal.
Katrina OhA major turning point in our modern history is China’s rapid ascent from underdeveloped country to economic powerhouse. Given China’s rags-to-riches story, it is not surprising that scholars want to explain what accounts for the country’s drastic transformation. One scholar Jeffrey Bader argues that Xi Jingping played a limited role in China' transformation to global power.
One possible reason for Bader’s tepid attitutde towards Xi Jinping may be XiJinping’s indifference to international norms (e.g. human rights). Bader, being an American, may have find Xi Jinping’s disregard for international norms off-putting. But as China becomes an increasingly more dominant global player, it will inevitably have the power to shape international norms. Over time, I wonder, how might international norms respond to Chinese pressure? What new international norms might come from China's influence?
Katrina OhWhen China announced its new Belt Road initiative (BI), reactions from across the globe were mixed. The BI aims to integrate China and Europe via the Middle East and Africa by building transportation infrastructure like roads, railways, etc. Some countries, eager to receive monetary aid from China, welcome the news.
But others, especially countries in the West, are wary and fear that the BI might be part of China’s larger plan to recreate a new world order, one where China displaces the United States as the new hegemon. I think the West’s fear of the plan is well-warranted. In my opinion, China is using BI as a mere tool to attain more influence in the region.
Katrina OhThe short clip “Leftover Park” offered an insightful look into Chinese values. From the video clip, it became readily apparent that those of the older Chinese generation value families, marriage, and kids. And I, too, was surprised by the level of proactivity among Chinese parents to help their children find their mate. (Who needs dating apps, when you have Chinese parents!)
But the clip also suggests that there is a conflict of priorities between those who belong to the older generation and those who are of the younger generation: While those of the older generation seemed eager to see their children marry and start families of their own, the younger generation appeared more preoccupied with building their careers, which makes me wonder: is this erosion of traditional Chinese values among the Chinese younger generation the unintended result of urbanization and economic development?
Katrina OhThis week, I learned about China’s substantial progress towards its goal of reducing air pollution in regions like Jing Jin Ji. Improved, energy efficient technology, like the solar PV systems, has allowed the country to dramatically cuts its emissions of greenhouse gases like CO2. After watching the video clip, I can’t help but wonder when the United States will work to actively curb its emissions of greenhouse gases. Unfortunately, environmental regulation in the United States has become a politicized issue; and under the current administration, it seems highly unlikely that the government will take meaningful steps to clean up air pollution in the country is unlikely.
Katrina OhThe Economist article also examines China’s huge, expensive toxic soil problem. In the southern Hunan province, the country’s largest producer of rice and of the heavy metal cadmium, much of the rice cultivated in the region is contaminated with toxins like cadmium. Despite the toxicity of the soil, the Chinse government still permits farmers to plan rice in polluted areas in the region, which means farmers are selling and distributing tainted rice. While China has seen unprecedented growthand development in past decades, that quick ascent has come at a steep cost. In the coming years, I expect China to increasingly pass and enforce more environmental regulations.
Katrina OhThe NYT article "In China, 'Once the Villages are Gone, the Culture is Gone" suggests that not all the migrations in China are voluntary. The article focuses on a troupe of amateur musicians whose village was destroyed so that the Chinese government could build a golf course. Following the destruction of their village, some of the musicians resolved to meet once a week and perform traditional music from their former village under a highway overpass on the outskirts of Beijing in an effort to preserve their cultural traditions.
But it becomes clear from the article that the musicians are fighting a losing battle: The number of musicians is dwindling and young people have less time. In this particular case, the residents of the village never had a choice when it came to the question of staying in the village because they had never owned the land; all land in China belongs to the state. One of the drawbacks to urbanization is the erosion of cultural traditions. It is a shame that the Chinese state does not consider the traditions from rural villages worth preserving.
Katrina OhAfter watching the mini lecture #4, my admiration for China grew: While I admit China is not a perfect country- after all, no country is- I was impressed by the Communist Party's ability to develop and articulate a clear vision (Belt and Road Initiative) for the country and its ability to carry out massive reforms in a relatively short amount of time. I was not aware that China had turned its attention to manufacturing higher-quality products more efficiently and harnessing innovation to drive further growth ("New Normal").
Katrina OhBefore participating in this seminar, I had been under the impression that Chinese exports were the primary drivers of the Chinese economy.Visit any store in the U.S. or any home in the U.S. and you will find a pile, or even mounds of goods, manufactured in China. But according to the report from the Economist, private consumption has overtaken exports as the main driver of economic growth in China. As China's middle to upper-middle class grows, and their discretionary income increases, I wonder what kind of products China will manufacture for its domestic market or what kind of services China will offer its denizens.
Katrina OhI did not know people had resorted to cannibalism during the famine. It is so upsetting that this happened, especially because it could have been avoided had it not been for poor government planning! It is doubly frustrating that the government bans individuals from speaking about this and denies any culpability of this event. I am curious about the history presented by the Chinese textbooks.
