China: 60 years in facts and figures

[polaris]

China: 60 years in facts and figures

http://ceconomy.blogspot.com/

[Dennis Chen]

There's 1 fact missing.

How many Chinese died between 1950 and 2008?

[Ren Ying Ying]

There's 1 fact missing.

How many Chinese died between 1950 and 2008?

and how many chinese died between 1852 and 1950?

[Dennis Chen]

Too bad the dead can't speak.

[PJ]

literacy rate > 96% ? Hard to believe it's that high.

[Guo Xiang]

literacy rate > 96% ? Hard to believe it's that high.

Same here.

I just find that figure unbelievable.

[yittz]

Same here.

I just find that figure unbelievable.

On the contrary, I find that figure a bit low. One thing that was done right under Mao's rule was to raise literacy rates. All children of school age were forced to go to school.

How many Chinese died in between 1950 and 2008? A lot. What's your point?

[Dennis Chen]

Mao was a mass murderer exceeding Stalin and just about everyone before them.

China's current success is more attributable to Deng than Mao.

[Trien Chieu]

Wow, that is the biggest improvement in human history. No country in history has improve that much in 60 years. Yeah, I agree that Deng Xiao Peng was the guy who laid the great foundation that lead china to this level, but also come at the great price. Pollution in china is much worse now than during Mao time. If Mao is still in control to these days, china would stay poor but the pollution level wouldn't be this bad.

[Guo Xiang]

Wow, that is the biggest improvement in human history. No country in history has improve that much in 60 years. Yeah, I agree that Deng Xiao Peng was the guy who laid the great foundation that lead china to this level, but also come at the great price. Pollution in china is much worse now than during Mao time. If Mao is still in control to these days, china would stay poor but the pollution level wouldn't be this bad.

You think?

While China has made stunning progress, in a way it's barely remarkable.

For an excellent example of a truly stunning progress, you need not look further than Japan. In the last 150 years, they used only 50 years to transform the entire country from a backward pushover (just like China was) to become a powerhouse in its own right. They were so strong, they beat the 'invincible' Europeans in Asia and became a regional bully.

After WW2, their economy sank to a bottom low. They took about 20-30 years to become the regional powerhouse again, this time in a different sense.

Perhaps one can argue that China was a lot larger than Japan, so we may have to multiple the time required by two.

But on its way to progress, China has drawn deep into its resources. Perhaps too deeply. A colleague of mine, an expert on the Chinese market, said China's progress was actually built on the resources of the future 30 years. This meant that China was drawing out its resources like it's using a credit card, only that the 'credits' it took out cannot be replaced. At least not as easily as you can with money.

I'm afraid the pollution problem you mentioned is just a part of a chain of problems China is facing.

[Ren Wo Xing]

Hmm...correct me if I'm wrong...but are you suggesting that it is only twice as hard as to transform a country of ~30 million (the population of Meiji Japan) as a country of ~980 million (China in 1979)?

I do agree with you on your comments re China's problems though...but w/regards to pollution, that is one of the main reasons why China is becoming the leader in terms of support for and development of green/renewable energy. They can't afford not to be.

[remember_Cedric]

...but w/regards to pollution, that is one of the main reasons why China is becoming the leader in terms of support for and development of green/renewable energy. They can't afford not to be.

The leader? Sounds cool. So, can I consider that as good news?

[Guo Xiang]

Hmm...correct me if I'm wrong...but are you suggesting that it is only twice as hard as to transform a country of ~30 million (the population of Meiji Japan) as a country of ~980 million (China in 1979)?

I do agree with you on your comments re China's problems though...but w/regards to pollution, that is one of the main reasons why China is becoming the leader in terms of support for and development of green/renewable energy. They can't afford not to be.

No, of course I'm not suggesting it's only twice as hard. China is a very difficult land to manage, considering its size and population.

The leader? Sounds cool. So, can I consider that as good news?

Sounds good to me. That indicates China is striving to be more environmental now.

[Ren Wo Xing]

See this article by Thomas Friedman.

Guo Xiang, if it's more than twice as hard, maybe they should get more than twice the time

[yittz]

Mao was a mass murderer exceeding Stalin and just about everyone before them.

China's current success is more attributable to Deng than Mao.

There are more Chinese to kill and the background life expectancy was shocking anyway. That said, Mao is at least indirectly responsible for millions by his backward plans. Deng transformed China, Mao made it static, bar a few areas, during his reign.

[david_xyz]

:

Mao was a mass murderer exceeding Stalin and just about everyone before them.

China's current success is more attributable to Deng than Mao.

Great , In China , this can be called the seventh bread is much better than the last six, because it make you feel full

[Trien Chieu]

:
Great , In China , this can be called the seventh bread is much better than the last six, because it make you feel full

Mao was a war hero but he was suck at economic. I think most people here can agree that most of his economic policies were failure. Mao was a Marxist whereas Deng was a capitalist. The wealth gap during Mao's erra was the smallest whereas the wealth gap now is the biggest in china's history.

[jiang bao]

Is the pollution problem in China worse than in the West during the early days of the Industrial Revolution? It does appear to be trying to do its part in renewable energies.

There are serious problems there, for sure, but it’s only in its development stage, and there’s a long way to go.

Confused-ism f’ed up the country, then it was Maoism.

[Trien Chieu]

Is the pollution problem in China worse than in the West during the early days of the Industrial Revolution? It does appear to be trying to do its part in renewable energies.

There are serious problems there, for sure, but it’s only in its development stage, and there’s a long way to go.

The pollution problem in China is worse than the West back then because China has much larger population and is not a democracy. Politicians are not elected by the population so their policy do not reflect the need of the population.

Confused-ism f’ed up the country, then it was Maoism.

Maoism, Stalinism, PolPotism, KimJonIlism = Marxism

[jiang bao]

I am more interested in per capita sort of pollution data rather than just broad generalizations. I do know that China is actively seeking to establish solar and wind capabilities. I would have to dig for the exact stats, but they agreed to the biggest solar plant with First Solar and I believe they are the fastest growing country in terms of wind power installations. A month or so ago, I saw that their installed wind power capacity had doubled in 2008 vs. 2007. (If my memory does not fail me) I do think that China understands the long term need for alternative energies. Because there are no right wingers there blocking efforts to save the environment, I think that China will have an easier time implementing alternative energy programs for the same reason that their stimulus package had much more immediate and obvious effects.