Why will China be a major player in the 21^st Century and how will it affect me?

1. Why will China impact the world’s economy?
2. How does the geography of China influence the lives of its people?
3. What are the characteristics of the Chinese culture and how does the culture influence the lives of the people?
4. How do the governments of the United States and China compare?

2.18: Students understand economic principles and are able to make economic decisions that have consequences in daily living.

2.19: Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and geography and apply their knowledge in real-life situations.

• Analyze geographic characteristics (e.g., land forms, waterways, climate, and natural resources) to explain human and regional relationships.

2.16 Students observe, analyze, and interpret human behaviors, social groupings, and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups.

• Analyze the impact of social institutions (e.g., religious, educational, occupational and political systems) in society.

2.15 Students can accurately describe various forms of government and analyze issues that relate to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

• Compare Democratic and non-democratic political systems (e.g., parliamentary government, dictatorship, monarchy).

SS-M-3.4.3 Personal, national, and international economic activities are interdependent.

SS-M-4.4.2 The physical environment both promotes and limits human activities (e.g., exploration, migration, trade).

SS-M-4.4.1 Technology assists human modification of the physical environment (e.g., damming a river, irrigating a desert, cooling or heating a living area).

SS-M-2.2.1 All cultures develop institutions, customs, beliefs, and holidays reflecting their unique histories, situations, and perspectives.

SS-M-1.1.1 Governments may take different forms (e.g., constitutional, totalitarian, democratic, republic).

Knowledge: From the proficient column

6th grade World Geography

Government and Civics: An understanding that governments take different forms.

Culture and Society: An understanding of the common elements of various cultures.

Economics: An understanding of advanced economic terms and broad concept such as interdependence.

Geography: An understanding of various geographic tools; how geography impacts culture, history, and economic and political decisions.

Read interpret and evaluate information.

Make Comparisons.

Identify multiple causes and effects.

Draw conclusions and justify explanations.

Organize, analyze and synthesize answers.

Rights

Social Institution

Elements of Culture

Market

Interdependence

Map Projection

Natural Resources

Population Density

Communicates ideas or concepts effectively in an organized manner.

Determining cause and effects

Synthesizing

Comparing and Contrasting

Students will be actively involved in a panel discussion entitled China Talk. Each student will be assigned a role to play during the panel discussion. Students will be assessed on participation, preparation, content knowledge including accuracy and relevance.

The topic for the panel discussion will be: Why will China be a major player in the 21^st Century and how will it affect me?

The class will be divided into two large groups. Within the two groups of approximately 14-15 students each student will be assigned a role to play.

15 (7, 8) Panel Members

8 (4, 4) Audience Questioners – Each one must be prepared to ask two questions.

2 (1, 1) Timekeepers

2 (1, 1) Videographers

2 (1, 1) Moderators

Name of Panel Member: _________________________________

Name of Questioner: ____________________________________

Name of Videographer: ___________________________________

Name of Timekeeper: ___________________________________

Name of Moderator: _________________________________

Classroom Observations

Student Products

Open Response Item

Journal Entry

Panel Discussions

Essential Question A: Why will China impact the world’s economy?

Core Content for Assessment, SS-M-3.4.3: Personal, national, and international economic activities are interdependent.

2.18: Students understand economic principles and are able to make economic decisions that have consequences in daily living.

• Analyze the effects of economic factors (e.g., supply and demand, wants and needs) on decision making in the modern world.
• Analyze relationships among economic factors, (e.g., political structure, natural resources, population, technology) and the interdependence of nations.
• Examine ways cultural heritage influences economic decisions.

Introduction: Whole Group Economic Interdependence Discussion: Does China have any affect on our lives? Think-Pair-Share activity. For the large group sharing session, one method may be using Inspiration Software or some sort of graphic organizer.

Time for real investigation. Students are to be placed into three groups, and the teacher will circulate among the groups to check for understanding.

Group A: Marketing – Students will individually read and analyze a feature article on possible economic opportunities in China to determine what types of business opportunities might be available for Americans in china’ economic market. (See Appendix.) Title of article: Economics in China http://caca.essortment.com/economicschina_rjns.htm

Group B: Students will be placed in pairs or in threes, and they will use the Internet to research U.S. and China relations. A website will be researched to find out the importance of China to the U.S. trade.

http://www.state.gov/www/regions/eap/fs_us_china_relations.html Analyze the trade and investment section of the article. Also, analyze the export and import charts. (See Appendix.) Record evidence on U.S. and China relations and its importance on trade.

Group C: Students will examine a collection of products to determine their origin in the classroom, school and at home. Students will complete a chart (see attachment 1). Highlight products made in China. Classify products into these categories: (See attachment 1a)

• Things used for entertainment (ex. Sony Play Station)
• Things used for school (ex. Book bag)
• Things used for daily living (ex. Chair)
• Other: (ex. Basket)

Students will add to their charts additional products identified from home.

1. Each group will share information to whole class.
2. During group sharing each student will complete a chart will be completed to determine what was learned and to predict future impact (See Attachment 1b).
3. Teacher will lead whole group instruction on Essential Question 1. Discussion is included.
4. Teacher led instruction will include economic interdependence between China and the world.
5. Each student will predict China’s impact on the world (See Attachment 1b).
6. The completed chart will be given to the teacher.

Essential Question B: How does the geography of China influence the lives of its people?

Academic Expectation 2.19: Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and geography and apply their knowledge in real-life situations.

• Analyze geographic characteristics (e.g., land forms, waterways, climate, and natural resources) to explain human and regional relationships.

Core Content for Assessment, SS-M-4.1.1: Maps (e.g., map projections - Mercator and Robinson), globes, photographs, models, and satellite images are representations of Earth with different characteristics and uses.

SS-M-4.4.2: The physical environment both promotes and limits human activities (e.g., exploration, migration, trade).

Introduction for Essential Question B. Teacher led discussion with whole class. What is China like in regard to us? Compare population, landforms, and natural resources with U.S. Maps, globes, and atlases should be available for use.

Divide students into three groups based on each student’s preferred multiple intelligence strength.

Group A. Within the groups, the students are in pairs and will make a physical contour map (See Attachment 2 for directions) with play dough, which is to accurately depict elevation and landforms. Students will use a textbook and an atlas.

Group B. Teacher will provide a mini-lesson on how to conduct a population analysis. Key questions to help guide the mini-lesson are included. (See Attachment 2a.) Individually or in pairs, students will complete a population analysis on where people live in China. Students will make a poster or a brochure that contains a map or graph and question and answers showing what students have learned. A blank China map is provided. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia99/china_sm99.jpg . Table 1 contains a population of major cities. Table 2 contains a population pyramid for China. (See Attachment 2c.) In addition, students will use textbook or atlas.

Group C. Individually or in pairs, students will develop a list of three natural resources of China. One of the three natural resources must be in short supply. Answer the following question in paragraph form: How does China address the identified natural resource shortage? Textbook, atlas or other resources may be used.

1. Each group will report and show their work.
2. Students will have a gallery walk (walk around) to see the displays.
3. A debriefing will occur with teacher that will include how the geography influences people’s lives.
4. Teacher will discuss the construction of the new dam in China. A National Geographic article will be a resource.

The physical environment in China both promotes and limits human activities.

1. Identify two physical features in China.
2. Explain how these two physical features impact the lives of the people.

Scoring Guide

Look for in Part A:

River Valleys

Mountains

Coastal Plains

Deserts

Plateaus.

Look for in Part B:

Rivers can be used for travel, transporting goods, irrigate the crops, flood the homes.

Mountains are difficult to farm, creates barriers to travel, but might have natural resources.

Coastal Plains are good for farming, for trade.

Deserts are not good for farming, or for living. People must be nomadic.

Plateaus are hard to live on; it is in a high elevation zone; and it is difficult to travel.

This lesson is an example of content and product differentiation.

Essential Question C: What are the characteristics of the Chinese culture and how does this culture influence the lives of the people?

Core Content for Assessment, SS-M-2.2.1: All cultures develop institutions, customs, beliefs, and holidays reflecting their unique histories, situations, and perspectives.

Academic Expectation, 2.16: Students observe, analyze, and interpret human behaviors, social groupings, and institutions to better understand people and the relationships among individuals and among groups.

• Analyze the impact of social institutions (e.g., religious, educational, occupational and political systems) in society.

Introduction for Essential Question C: Teacher provides an introduction on the culture of China.

The class will be divided into four groups based on the student’s learning style (from concrete to abstract) to research and learn more about China’s culture. The teacher will provide materials and research opportunities for the students using the textbook, materials from the library, Internet, etc. The students can divide their group with assigned responsibilities. Then the students must come back together in a small group to share. Each of the four groups will choose how to share the information to the whole class. For example, some groups may perform a short skit, role-play, present a newscast, develop a brochure or some sort of display, or students may be offered other choices.

Group A: Students will research China’s basic human needs including food, dwellings, and clothing. (5-6 students)

Group B: Students will research China’s music, art, drama, literature, and architecture. (10 students)

Group C: Students will research China’s social institutions, education program and family. (7-8 students)

Group D: Students will research China’s belief systems and philosophies of religion. (5-6 students)

Teacher will summarize the characteristics of Chinese culture in a large group discussion.

Individually each student will complete a journal entry on a description of the Chinese cultural characteristics and how they influence this republic.

Essential Question D: How do the governments of the United States and China compare?

Core Content for Assessment, SS-M-1.1.1: Governments may take different forms (e.g., constitutional, totalitarian, democratic, republic).

Academic Expectation, 2.15: Students can accurately describe various forms of government and analyze issues that relate to the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.

• Compare Democratic and non-democratic political systems (e.g., parliamentary government, dictatorship, monarchy).

Introduction to Essential Question D. A whole group discussion begins with showing a video clip or a picture of Tiananmen Square. Teacher will record using a K-W-L chart what students know about China’s government, and what students want to know. The teacher will also provide a short review on the U.S. Government using a K-W-L chart to complete what students know and what students want to know. Whole group instruction will follow.

Students will choose a government topic to research based on their interests and they will use information provided by the teacher. The student is to compare this government topic between U.S. and China. A comparison chart is to be completed by each student. (See Attachment 4 for the comparison chart.)

The following list contains various topics that the student may choose:

Election process Military role

Individual freedoms Right to assembly (protest)

Employment opportunities/restrictions Freedom of the press

Freedom of speech Ownership of land

Leadership opportunities/restrictions Economy

Type of government

National Geographic, September 1997, Vol. 192, No. 3. China’s Three Gorges

Asia Inspirer, interactive software program where only one computer is needed. Tom Snyder Productions. 1-800-304-1254

Cambridge Educational Posters. Poster on China. $5.95 1-800-468-4227

Newsweek Education Program. Newsweek. China Today. 1996. 800-526-2595

Asia map http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia

Chinese screens http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nso/asian/activities/cscreens.html

Virtual tour of Asia http://www.artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nso/asian/

Asia Scrapbook http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nso/asian/activities/activities.html

China Fact Book http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

China facts http://www.immigration-usa.com/maps/china_map.html

China search http://www.ancestry.com/ancestry/search/3344.htm

Traces of Belief http://www.askasia.org/VISIBLE_TRACES/curriculum/belief.html

Big Chalk http://www.bigchalk.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WOPortal.woa/318/wa/BCPageDA/sec~GA~5213~~

China The Beautiful: Chinese Art and Literature http://www.chinapage.com/china.html

http://www.chinapage.com/china-rm.html

Chinese Paintings

http://www.chinapage.com/paint1.html

Ancient China http://www.penncharter.com/Student/china/index.html

Chinese History Resources http://www.kings.k12.ca.us/kcoe/curric/chinese.html

The official support of a market-based economy that came from Deng Xiao Ping in 1992 has resulted in a more open system of trade for China, and subsequently a huge growth spurt in China's economy. The economic reforms which Deng instigated culminated in a "socialist market economy", a term which was actually incorporated into the Chinese constitution during the National People's Congress in March 1993. Since that time, China's economy has experienced a substantial boost in regards to living standards, quality of food and spendable income.

While these elements expand opportunities for U.S. exporters, factors such as inflationary pressure, irrational foreign exchange controls, and restrictive trade practices have created numerous barriers. In fact, China's official Gross National Product (GNP) posted a 12.8 percent real growth rate in 1992 to about US$435 billion, or about US$371 for each of China's 1.172 billion people- urban incomes grew at a real rate of 8.8 percent. Rural incomes also grew, but at a slower rate of 5.9 percent.

These figures, however, may be tainted by the disproportionate distribution of income and wealth that permeates China. The Chinese, after all, have lower human rights standards than the United States and the poor definitely suffer the consequences. Add to that the immense size of the Chinese population, and suddenly any estimates of wealth, buying power, or economic conditions appear to be quite diminished in their reliability. In the end, these figures are based on national averages, which creates a fictional middle class majority that simply does not exist. Realistically, a very large proportion of China's economic growth comes from the collective and private sector, and not the subsidized state sector.

In addition, China continues to maintain an illogical foreign exchange mechanism, utilizing both an official exchange rate and a "swap center" rate, which is influenced even further by the black market rate - none of which can be properly measured. Other barriers include the fact that it can sometimes be hard to decipher the rules regarding license requirements, as well as what type of inspections are required. For those commodities, which are still restricted at the central government level, there is also confusion as to which agency has the ultimate authority. These difficulties can be managed, but necessitate perseverance and diligence on the part of U.S. exporters.

The market and price reforms made by the China Communist Party in 1993 also fueled dynamic changes in China's economic environment, especially in regards to agriculture. With the population of China increasing by approximately 17 million people every year, it is easy to see why China can only meet demands by increasing the number of agricultural and food product imports it receives. Today, there are over 80,000 grain and edible oil markets as well as numerous fruit and vegetable markets in China importing products for the domestic market. China has signed agreements which force them to loosen the restrictions on foreign trade, which has had a very positive impact on U.S. trade relations with China, especially in regards to food products.

In China, as in many countries throughout the world, the rise in incomes and living standards has perpetuated a notable increase in the per capita consumption of meat, fruits and vegetables, and most especially, processed and convenience foods is increasing. In major urban markets, and most noticeably in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, consumers are literally "eating up" fast foods, convenience foods, and packaged food products. The elimination of price subsidies for grain, pork, milk, eggs and other products has caused some increase in price, however this increase has caused little, if any, dissension. This means that not only can Chinese consumers better afford to pay higher prices, but are willing to, in order to increase the number of alternatives that are available to them. Consumers in China today are demanding quality and variety in the food they buy and the U.S. market is more than happy to fulfill their needs. Unfortunately, there are still about 300 million people in China's urban population who have not yet caught up with the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. The good news for U.S. exporters however is that as long as the economic trends in China continue to improve, more and more markets will continue to open up. The bad news is that the high tariffs, technical barriers and general lack of clarity that products of major interest to U.S. exporters, such as beef, nuts, and fruit, have received only minimal reductions in tariffs despite the many promises from China that international trade will be made more cost-efficient. Quarantine barriers also officially prohibit U.S. fruit and most fresh vegetables from entering China, due to fear of fruit fly contamination. However efforts are being made to permanently remove all restrictions that cannot be scientifically justified.

China also maintains quotas on many products, but the quotas seem to be somewhat flexible. In truth, figuring out exact quota amounts is often very difficult. Therefore, when evaluating the U.S. market position for consumer ready products, China Customs data is the only source that provides comparable China Import data for the United States and other countries. There is still however a lot of discrepancies in figures, and it is assumed that the China market is larger than indicated by U.S. and Chinese statistics.

While market research is not exactly a prevalent practice in China, some evidence has shown that an American label does significantly help boost product sales. Subsequently, dishonest importers have been known to put U.S. labels on other countries' products because it makes the item sell better. This not only skews statistical data, but also could have a strong negative impact on the U.S. economy if the matter were to get out completely out of hand. Labeling requirements are not very restrictive at the moment, but the U.S. and China are working to eradicate this fraudulent behavior being perpetrated. The China market for American products is swiftly freeing itself from strict government control. The amalgamation of rapid economic growth and market reforms is has fueled the interest in American products on the part of the Chinese consumer. It is predicted that the hotel and restaurant industry will continue to be the major market opportunity for U.S. meats, wines, frozen potatoes, condiments and a plethora of other related products. In addition, the telecommunications, financial and other service markets also offer great potential for U.S. exporters. In spite of the plethora of trade restrictions, which still limit the overall import market in China, the latest trends are pointing toward simplifying admission into the Chinese market. The number of trade corporations, and factories, for example, has gone sky high in the recent past. Because of its struggling economy, most emphasis in past China trade relations was based on exporting. There is currently is a continually increasing interest in importing products for the domestic market.

One of the most recent notable developments in regards to China's trade regulations is that, China and the U.S. finally signed a deal which allowed China to enter the World Trade Organization. This agreement will benefit the U.S. in a number of ways, including the new freedom of foreign investors to partake in China’s Internet market, and manufacturers are now allowed to import and export their products without overt governmental interference.

Economic reform and the establishment of a "socialist market economy" have virtually revolutionized trade between our two countries. Therefore it is vital that good relations with China are maintained so that both economies can experience the benefits of higher quality living.

Fact Sheet released by the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of
State, June 20, 1997.

The United States seeks constructive relations with a strong, stable, open, and prosperous China that is integrated into the international community and acts as responsible member of that community. The U.S. needs a constructive working relationship with China because:

-- The People's Republic of China (P.R.C.) plays a major role in the post-Cold War world;
-- It is the world's most populous nation (about 1.2 billion people) and the third-largest in land mass (after Russia and Canada);
-- It has nuclear weapons, is a growing military power, and plays a key role in regional stability;
-- As one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has veto power over Security Council resolutions dealing with key multilateral issues, including international peacekeeping and the resolution of regional conflicts; and
-- China is undergoing extraordinary economic growth and promises to be a preeminent economic power early in the next century.

In the 1972 Shanghai Communique signed during President Nixon's historic trip to China, the United States adopted a "one China policy." This policy acknowledges that Chinese on both sides of the Taiwan Strait maintain that there is only one China and that Taiwan is part of China. In 1979, the United States established relations with the P.R.C. and transferred diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. A 1979 Joint Communique reflected this change, and Beijing agreed that the American people would continue to carry on commercial, cultural, and other unofficial contacts with the people of Taiwan. The 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, and a third Joint Communique signed in 1982, further defined the U.S.-China relationship as well as unofficial U.S. relations with the people of Taiwan.

In September 1993, President Clinton launched a policy of comprehensive engagement with China to pursue U.S. interests through intensive, high-level dialogue with the Chinese. This policy seeks:

-- Constructive Chinese participation in the UN Security Council and in the resolution of regional conflicts to enhance global peace and security;
-- Active participation by China in multilateral nonproliferation regimes, which is necessary to halt the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems;
-- Economic and trade relations with China that meet U.S. economic interests;
-- Respect for internationally recognized standards of human rights and the rule of law in China; and
-- Chinese cooperation on global issues, particularly to combat alien smuggling and narcotics trafficking and to improve protection of the environment.

Regional security remains a key issue in the U.S.-China relations. The United States has a long-term interest in peace and stability in Asia; there are approximately 100,000 American soldiers stationed in the Asia-Pacific region. China plays a key role in regional security issues, including resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, reaching a peaceful settlement of the territorial dispute over the South China Sea and Spratly Islands, and building democracy and peace in Cambodia. The United States supports China's active participation in evolving regional security institutions, most prominently the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Regional Forum and the Northeast Asia Security Dialogue.

With regard to other nuclear and security issues, the United States and China have agreed to work together to try to achieve an international convention banning the production of fissile materials for nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. China is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996, ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention in April 1997, and has banned the exports of MTCR-class intermediate and long-range missiles. In May 1995, China voted in favor of indefinite extension of the NPT, a top priority in U.S. foreign policy. The United States continues to urge China to stop all nuclear cooperation with Iran's nuclear power generation program; to join the Zangger Nuclear Suppliers Group; further restrict transfers of missile components and technology; and control strictly exports of chemical and biological weapon precursors.

Trade and Investment

China has a quarter of the world's population--a vast pool of potential consumers for U.S. products and services--and market-oriented reforms have recently helped generate very rapid economic growth. The World Bank has predicted that China's economy will grow 8%-10% per year until the year 2000 and has estimated that China's economic output will reach $10 trillion by the middle of the next century.

With this rapid economic expansion, China's market will be increasingly important for United States commercial interests. The U.S. currently grants China most-favored-nation trading status (see Government and Political Conditions). In some sectors, access to the Chinese market has become a critical element of U.S. producers' growth strategies. U.S.-China trade has continued to climb, reaching $57.3 billion in 1995--up from $48.1 billion the previous year. Recently, however, China's exports to the U.S. have accounted for most of the growth in bilateral trade. The U.S. merchandise trade deficit with China was about $39.5 billion in 1996, exceeded only by the U.S. bilateral trade deficit with Japan. In order to build a balanced and sustainable bilateral trading relationship, it will be essential to obtain greater market access for U.S. products and services in China.

Seeking to participate in China's rapid economic growth, major multinational corporations from around the world have shown great interest in investing in China. The United States is the third-largest source of such investment, after Hong Kong and Taiwan. Globally, China is second only to the United States as recipient of foreign direct investment.

The increasingly important U.S. economic and trade relations with China are an important element of the Administration's "comprehensive engagement" strategy. In economics and trade, there are two main elements to the U.S. approach.

First, the United States seeks to fully integrate China into the global, market-based economic and trading system. China's participation in the global economy will nurture the process of economic reform and increase China's stake in the stability and prosperity of East Asia.

Second, the United States seeks to expand U.S. exporters' and investors' access to the Chinese market. As China grows and develops, its needs for imported goods and services will grow even more rapidly.

China is now in its 10th year of negotiations for accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO)--formerly the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). To gain WTO entry, all prospective WTO members are required to comply with certain fundamental trading disciplines and offer substantially expanded market access to other members of the organization.

Securing China's accession to the WTO on these terms will contribute to China's economic transformation, spur economic growth in the U.S. and other WTO-member economies, and support the integrity of the international trading system. The United States continues to work with China and other WTO members toward a commercially viable accession protocol.

Many major trading entities--among them the United States, the European Union, and Japan--have shared concerns with respect to China's accession. These concerns include efforts to obtain satisfactory market access offers for both goods and services, full trading rights for all potential Chinese consumers and end-users, nondiscrimination between foreign and local commercial operations in China, the reduction of monopolistic state trading practices, and the elimination of arbitrary or non-scientific technical standards.

The United States and China also maintain a very active dialogue on bilateral trade issues. In the past two years, the two sides have concluded agreements on the protection of intellectual property rights (IPR), textiles, and satellite launches.

U.S. and Chinese negotiators meet regularly to review progress in implementing our commercial agreements. In areas where China has failed to comply with its international commitments, the Administration has exercised its legislative authority to conduct investigations and, when necessary, propose appropriate trade sanctions. These efforts will not only expand the commercial opportunities open to U.S. exporters in China but also contribute to China's efforts to bring its trade regime into compliance with the WTO and with other international commercial standards.

The United States continues to expand its export promotion efforts and its scientific and technical exchange programs in China. The U.S. and China last year renewed their Bilateral Science and Technology Agreement for another five years. In March 1997, the two countries held their first Sustainable Development Forum, which is intended to expand cooperation in the environmental field. The Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, hosted by the Commerce Department in September, discussed expansion of long-term economic and business ties between China and the United States.

The U.S. economic relationship with Hong Kong is closely tied to U.S.-China relations. Under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, Hong Kong will become a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the P.R.C. on July 1, 1997. U.S. concerns over this transition include economic and investment issues. The United States has substantial economic and social ties with Hong Kong, with an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion invested there. There are 900,000 U.S. firms and 30,000 Americans resident in Hong Kong. The United States is Hong Kong's second largest market--importing $10.2 billion in 1995--and Hong Kong is America's 14th-largest trading partner--$14.2 billion in U.S. exports in 1995.

The United States and China both are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC). At the November 1994 APEC summit in Bogor, Indonesia, President Clinton, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, and the other APEC leaders pledged to meet the goal of free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region by the year 2020.

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--James R. Sasser
Deputy Chief of Mission--William C. McCahill
Political Officer--William A. Stanton
Economic Officer--Robert Ludan
Commercial Officer--Alan Turley

The U.S. embassy in China is located at Xiu Shui Bei Jie 3, 100600, Beijing; tel [86] (10) 6532-3831; fax [86] (10) 6532-6422.

Group 3 Products Chart

 

Attachment 1a

Group 3 Categories of Chinese Products

Attachment 1b

Summary of Group Work

Attachment 2

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A CONTOUR MAP OF CHINA

Provide students with an outline map of China. Maps should be mounted on cardboard to make them sturdier.

Using a physical / relief map of China from an atlas, have student carefully examine the elevation of various regions of China.

Using the elevation key, students should do mathematical calculations to determine the relative elevations of different places in China. For example, if Shanghai is at 100 feet above sea level and Beijing is at 1000 feet above sea level, how will that look on a 3 dimensional map?

After students have an understanding of the range of elevation in China, distribute a can of Play Dough to each team of 2 or 3 students.

Using Play Dough, students should make a relief map of China that accurately represents the range of elevations in China.

AT THIS POINT, THE TEACHER HAS TWO OPTIONS FOR CONTINUING THE ACTIVITY.

OPTION 1: Using string, students make horizontal slices of the map to trace which will show students how contour maps are made. (See directions below)

OPTION 2: Students research the question: How do the differences in elevation in the various regions of China affect the climate? How do the differences in elevation in various regions of China affect the way of life?

DIRECTIONS FOR CONVERTING RELIEF MAP TO CONTOUR MAP

Using the point of their pencils, have students mark off on their Play Dough maps intervals of elevation, for example, an amount that would correspond to 1000 feet.

Direct the students to wrap a piece of thread around their map at the lowest interval, and then pull the thread across the relief map as carefully as possible.

Students should carefully lift the top portion of the relief map off the base, and then remove the base. They then carefully set the top portion of the map back down on the outline map in the appropriate place. Then they trace around the new base. After tracing the base, they again take the thread and slice through the map horizontally at the next marked interval.

Again they carefully lift off the top part of the relief map, and remove the base. Then carefully, they set the top portion back down on the paper in the appropriate place in order to trace again around the base.

They repeat this procedure until they have sliced through at each marked interval, and traced around each new base.

The final product will be a contour map. Students should see that each line represents a different elevation.

They should label each contour line showing what elevation it represents.

FOLLOW UP QUESTION: Why aren’t all the contour lines the same distance apart?

 

Attachment 2a

Key Questions for Mini-lesson on population analysis

According to population data, where do most people in China live?

Do more people live in urban areas or in rural areas?

How does the number of females in China compare to the number of males?

What are the largest cities in China and where are they located?

Where is the population density the greatest in China? Where is the population the sparsest?

What factors do you think influence the population distribution in China? By location? By gender? By age?

 

Blank outline map of China http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia99/china_sm99.jpg

Attachment 2b

Found on line www.census.gov/cgi-bin/ipc/idbpyrs.pl?cty=CH&out=s&ymax=250

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Comparison Chart

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Back to PET Project

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