Transcript Notes - Social Education Victoria

Power in the Asia-Pacific
Area of study focus: China
Anna-Louise Simpson
Issues facing China in 2011
 Maintaining economic growth
 Controlling separatist groups
 Social harmony
 Human rights
 Responsible global citizen?
Maintaining economic growth
 Stability and survival of CCP depends on continued economic
growth
 2010: 10% GDP growth, world’s largest exporter
 Global concern over RMB currency valuation
 Challenges;
 increasing domestic demand
 sustaining job growth
 reducing corruption
 limiting environmental damage & social strife linked to rapid
industrialisation
 inflation
Controlling separatist groups
Controlling separatist groups
 Uighurs
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Ethnically dissimilar to majority Han-Chinese
Beijing has executed a ‘crushing campaign of religious repression’
Destruction of Kashgar
Kadeer: Jasmine Revolutions given hope to Uighurs
Guantanamo Bay detainees
 Tibetans
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Ethnically dissimilar to majority Han-Chinese
Lobsang Sangay elected new political leader
Dalai Lama retired but remains spiritual leader
Kirti monastery, Sichuan raid
 Taiwan
 Naval buildup
Social harmony
 Jasmine Revolutions in Middle East have worried Beijing that
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similar riots could occur in China
Spate stabbings in April & May 2010
Crime rates increasing
Inflation fears over price of food and housing
High costs of health and education
‘pent-up discontent could easily burst out... and spark mass conflicts’
In response:
 PM Wen declared public should voice more of their criticisms
 Government is at forefront of technological innovation to limit use
of internet
Human rights
‘fools errand’
 Liu Xiaobao detention & awarding of Nobel Peace prize
 Google
 Internet censorship
Human rights
Ai Weiwei high-profile detention
“will be judged by history, but he will pay a price for his special choice,”
Responsible global citizen?
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“to take physical control over oil and gas by buying up equity stakes or
long-term supply contracts in producing countries”
Iran; 14% of total oil imports; $40bn investment in Iranian
gasoline, $100bn arms transfers 2002-05; Resolution 1929
“a useful hedge against a hostile United States”
North Korea: “little real influence”
Libya: "give peace a chance"
Cyber espionage: desire to move from ‘made in China’ to
‘innovated in China’
Questions?