2007 China Year in Review
December 30, 2007
It's that time of year again- when it's out with the old and in with the new! While Chinese New Year is still over a month away, 2007 was an exciting year for China.
But which China topics really mattered this year? Here are a few:
Business and Economy: China's economy continued its winning streak with a projected GDP growth rate of about 11%. According to Forbes Asia, the number of billionaires in China grew from about 20 in March to 66 by November, which is more than any country outside of the U.S. Five of the world's ten wealthiest companies are located in China, and Macau makes more money from gambling than Las Vegas. Sales of designer brands and luxury products continue to explode, but it's impossible to consider all of this prosperity without also recognizing the hundreds of millions who still live in poverty.
While China's rich and middle class continue to get richer, there are still bumps in the road ahead for China's bustling economy. The increased income gap, large migrant population, currency valuation, and trade surplus are just a few. Chinese consumers are definitely enjoying the benefits of a more robust economy, but the stock market fluctuations earlier this year and the higher cost of living continue.
US-China Trade Relations: Tainted imports from China, ranging from pet food to toys to tires, have caused politicians and parents alike to sound the China alarm. Although high-level bureaucratic meetings between the U.S. and China have done little to assuage concerns, all of these hiccups haven’t seemed to discourage consumers from buying Chinese products. Even with the rising value of the RMB, China’s trade surplus with the U.S. is even greater than last year’s.
Religion: Nothing did more to rile up the faithful than a nasty news rumor discussing a planned Olympic Bible ban. Not only is the report false, but Olympic organizers announced plans to put Bibles in hotel rooms for the Olympics and to distribute them to athletes. This year the Amity Press celebrated its 50 millionth Bible produced in China.
While Christianity in China continues to grow, so do many other religions. A new survey indicated that atheist China has over 300 million religious believers.
Politics: With the Olympics just a year away, China's involvement in Sudan and other questionable government regimes remains under scrutiny. With the democracy protests in Burma and the increased political uncertainty in North Korea, China has remained at the forefront of world politics.
2007 marked China’s 17th National Party Congress, where Li Keqiang and Xi Jinping joined the ranks of the exclusive Standing Committee. These appointments probably won’t shake up the Communist Party, but they do determine the future direction of China’s government.
Sports: The Olympics are still months away, but that doesn't mean that China isn't ready to host the Games. The sports stadiums are essentially completed, and everything's in place. This year China performed well in international athletic competitions, affirming the gold medal aspirations of many athletes.
Beyond the traditional Olympic athletes, 2007 was also another big year for the NBA in China, with Yi Jianlian as a top draft pick and millions of dollars of NBA paraphernalia sold nationwide. On a lighter note, Yao Ming, who remains one of China's most recognized sports stars, tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend.
Media and Technology: 2007 has been a year of highs and lows in terms of China’s media freedom. January 1st China reduced restrictions for foreign journalists, and last week officials announced plans to continue the looser regulations beyond the Games. At the same time, domestic media remains under tight scrutiny. Foreign journalists are periodically detained and complain of limited access to high-level government officials.
China now has 162 million Internet users and this number continues to grow. Much of this population has begun to use their cell phone to go online, and services like WiMax are slowly gaining ground in major cities. This technology has been under the close scrutiny of the Chinese government whose firewall monitors all Internet activity. New addictions to online computer games are another challenge for China’s Internet users.
Environment: China's been the brunt of much environmental blame, with some of the worst polluted cities in the world. With nearly 1,500 new cars hitting the Beijing streets each day, the carbon emissions and fossil fuel pollution isn't going away any time soon. China's coal industry and factories have also made their mark on China's environmental landscape, but many residents nationwide say that times are changing and the problem is getting better.
Beyond the pollution issues, the Three Gorges Dam has been and continues to be a huge environmental concern. While it provides clean hydroelectric power, many residents have been displaced from their homes without adequate compensation and mudslides and ecological damage caused by the dam's construction hasn't been a welcome environmental change.
China has vowed to develop cleaner energies and has been improving public transportation, but this issue isn't going away any time soon. China has a long way to go before citizens (and the international community) are satisfied with its environmental improvements.
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