MODERN CHINA East Asia – Day 16

Social Problems POPULATION! – 1.3 billion people Imbalance of wealth between rich and poor Urbanization

62% of population lives in rural areas now but in 2035 it is predicted that 70% will live in urban areas

Aging Nation Currently 10% of population considered

elderly 2050 – median age in China will be 45

Environmental Problems Air Pollution

According to the EPA Air Quality Scale, any pollution rating above 300 means air is unsafe to breathe.

January 2013 – 19 days above 300 (Beijing) January 12, 2013 – Air quality reached 886 (Beijing)

Water Pollution January 2013 – a chemical accident leaked

benzene, a known cancer-causing agent, into a tributary of the Huangpu River

More than half of China’s surface water is so polluted that it cannot be treated to make drinkable

Environmental Problems

Desertification Permanent destruction of forests in order to

make the land available for other uses ¼ of China’s total land surface is under

desertification “Cancer Villages”

Entire towns that have been written off as so polluted that simply living there is a cancer risk

China in the Global Economy

China is the largest holder of U.S. public debt

World’s second largest economy (behind U.S.)

One of the world’s fastest-growing major economies

World’s largest exporter and importer of goods