The+Rise+of+China


 * Due for Class of April 7th**

//Go to the following TED video and watch the 20 minute clip by Martin Jacques on “The Rise of China”.// //[]//

//**Post** responses to the questions below after viewing the video. Compare your responses with your team members.//

//a. What do you think is the main message Jaques is trying to get across in his talk?// //b. What will be some of the consequences of China becoming the major economic world power?// //c. Did anything Jaques said about China surprise you? Give examples.// //d. Do you believe his overall comments/predictions?//

a. I think that Jacques main message is the Westerners should learn more about China because its economy is growing very rapidly, and most people know very little about the subject. This was illistrated through many examples about how advanced China is, and how little most people know about this.

b. The world will become unfamiliar to Westerners because we are unfamiliar with the Eastern Asian culture. Many Westerners do not pay attention to this culture because they do not think it is important, and they believe that they are superior. China is extrememly advanced, and does not behave in the way most Westerners asumme that it would. China does not run as one civilization state, they run as one civilization under many systems, with Hong Kong as an example. Also, it is not a largely multiracial country, over 90% of the people are part of the Han. The Chinese also demand authority from the state, which they view as the patriarch of the family. It will take most Westerners a long time to learn about the culture, traditions, and customs of China when it becomes a major economic world power.

c. There were many parts of what Jaques said that surprised me. I knew that China was big, but I did not know that it has 1.3 billion popel, and it is predicted to have the largest economy in the world in only a decade. I was also surprised by the Chinese rail stations and the how advanced the Chinese are, for example the ship that they sailed compared to Christopher Columbus's ship. I also was very intrigued by the possible high speed train that will allow trails to travel underneath.

d. I do believe his comments that most Westerners do not give China enough credit for all of its advancements. It is hard for me to believe that China will not act more like a Western country one it becomes more developed and more economically powerful, but after hearing Jaques arguments I became more convinced. I think that his prediction about becoming the largest economy in the world in a decade will not happen in that short of a time period because I think that something will happen to prevent this, but only time can tell.