December 15, 2008

 

Almost 30 years ago, introduction of "one-child marriage" in China:
- currently 1,307,560,000 inhabitants (2006)
- 2025: 1,600,000,000 (estimate)
- positive impact of "one-child philosophy" in China
- tackling of new problems:
  - regulation of old-age pensions
  - managing of housing and family problems
  

 

December 01, 2008

 

Victory of the socialist revolution after World War II (October 1, 1949):
- defeat of Japan
- attempt to establish a coalition between China´s People´s Liberation Army and Koumindang fails due to US
   intervention

 

 

November 17, 2008

 

Chinese Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) as an integral part of the development towards a unified and strong Chinese central state:
- central administration
- systematic development of agriculture, crafts, shipping, and trade
- impact on architecture (e.g., Emperor´s Palace, Beijing), painting, and sculpture
- overseas harbors and sea shipping 

 

 

November 10, 2008

 

Throughout thousands of years, China has developed into a strong central state:
- abolition of federal states prior to the Common Era
- strengthening of China´s central state
- Confucius (5th century B.C.) supports the idea of a central state.
- Confucianism as "state doctrine" in the first Chinese Republic (around 1911)
- Confucianism still of crucial importance for state and family

 

 

November 03, 2008

 

China and India exert influence on each other during their historical development:
- ancient trade relations
- "bridge of Buddhism"
- common foundations for a new Asian market
- new tendency:
  "ASEA + 3", i.e. together with China, India and Japan

 

 

October 27, 2008

 

Focus on the teachings of Confucius:
- stable family and state order
- proper behaviour within the existing order (saving face)
- respect for parents and ancestors
- The interaction with one?s fellow men should reflect the way one would like to be treated by them.
- same behavior towards family and state  

 

 

October 06, 2008

 

Macau as "Hong Kong's little sister":
- colonised by Portugal in the 16th century
- develops into a trade centre for China's costal regions
- after the decline of the Portuguese empire: gambling centre with a monopoly license from Hong Kong since
  1960
- special administrative region of the P.R. China since 1999 (same as Hong Kong)

 

 

September 22, 2008

 

 

Chinese "policy of opening up" as part of the reforms:
- difficult heritage: self-isolation throughout many centuries (Empires / Mao)
- new foreign policy as a result of enormous export surpluses and of China?s economic strength
- the example of Japan:
   - After a decades-long political ice age, the Japanese Prime Minister and the
     President of China pay state visits.
   - Tenno receives President of China (for the first time in Chinese-Japanese
     relations)

 

 

September 15, 2008

 

Hong Kong has been a special administration area for 10 years.
- transition from Crown Colony of the British Empire to special administration area of China (after 99 years)
- inseparable part of China according to the Chinese constitution
- guaranteed high degree of autonomy, own administration
- one of China's biggest trade centers

 

 

September 11, 2008

 

Current significance of Confucius' teachings (551 to 478 B.C.):
- proper behavior within the existing order
- respect for parents and ancestors
- interaction with fellow men
- same behavior towards family and state

 

 

September 08, 2008

 

One of the "cradles of humanity" is located on Chinese territory:
- In the Dsuku-Dian cavern that is located close to Beijing, remnants of Sinanthropus Pekinensis were found
  (approx. 500,000 years old).
- Sinanthropus Pekinensis belonged to the prehistoric men who walked upright, used their hands, stone tools,
  and knew how to make fire.

 

 

September 01, 2008

 

Approx. 2000 b.Ch.:     cattle breeding, agriculture and lane building
Approx. 1600 b.Ch.:     new crops (millet, wheat and rice)
Approx. 1000 b.Ch.:     separate clan unite to states, formation of the Chinese feudal system, 
                                         a standing army and the civil servant class

 

 

August 28, 2008

 

Since middle ages Tibet is the cultural bridge between China and India:
- Since the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century Tibet belongs to China
- Since 1762 also administrative entity with China
- Since the 19th century attempts of Great Britain (and later of the United States)
  to gain again influence on Tibet to separate Tibet from China