Articles on Chinese Economics

The China-Pakistan Alliance

Introduction Pakistan and China have had deep political, military economic ties that date back to the formation of the respective countries. Each country benefits from this alliance. From Pakistan’s perspective, China provides Pakistan with military technology and weapons, infrastructure and other financial investment, access to Chinese markets, and support for its geopolitical objectives. For China, […]

China, Rare Earths and Technological Edge

A sign at the entrance of China’s Baotou, Inner Mongolia Pioneering Rare Earth Hi-Tech Zone quotes Deng Xiaoping’s 1992 claim: “There is oil in the Middle East, but there is rare earth in China.”

Hydro-Power and Hydro-Hegemony: China’s Prolific Dam-Building

Before 1949, only 22 large dams existed in China. A dam study by Oregon State University concluded that since that time, the People’s Republic of China has undergone four waves of dam construction.

China’s Challenging Environment

The state of Chinese environment today must be placed in the context of the extraordinary development that it has accomplished and of the continuing challenges it will face in the upcoming decades. Since 1981, China has lifted approximately 500 million people out of absolute poverty, an unprecedented achievement.

Rising Income Inequality in China: A Price Worth Paying?

China, a country of continental scale, has experienced inequality in many shapes and forms throughout its 4000-year history. Part of this inequality is regional; attributable to China’s sheer size and the diversity of its geography.

Water in China: A Thirsty Country

China faces severe water shortages. Its current water per capita is one quarter of the world average, yet its overall per capita usage is still low by international standards but this will increase over the coming decades. The water that China does have is often badly polluted and is inefficiently used.

China’s Geography: The Physical Story

With a total area of nearly 9,600,000 square kilometers, China’s landmass is slightly smaller than that of Europe. It stretches about 5,000 km from east to west, and about 5,500 km from north to south.

Agriculture and Food Security: A Long-Term Priority

Ensuring food security in China has been both a priority and a challenge for Chinese leaders throughout the ages. With China currently supporting 20% of the world’s population on approximately 10% of the world’s arable land, today is no exception.

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Population Power: China’s Shifting Masses

China’s enormous population is one of the country’s most defining features. With the largest population in the world, almost one-fifth of the global total, it factors into nearly every significant issue facing the country including employment, consumption, the environment, and migration.

China and the European Union: Principles and Pragmatism

One of the fundamental difficulties with assessing the relationship between China and the EU is one that is inherent in all analyses of the EU: that it is not a single entity.

The Chinese Environment: Positive Trends toward Environmental Protection

Environmental degradation in China has increased significantly in the last 30 years. In 2000, China’s EPA found that two thirds of China’s 300 largest cities had air quality which exceeded WHO standards.

How China is Tackling its Water Challenge

China faces a severe water shortage. Its current water per capita is one quarter of the world average. This per capita water availability will decrease in the coming decades as China’s population peaks at between 1.4 and 1.5 billion people by 2030.