What Would the World Be Without China?
The not so sleeping giant. China, also known as the Republic of China, homes 110 people per square kilometer. There are 1. 49 billion Chinese at present. Their central government admonishes 33 administrative units (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2021). One of these is the ground zero of the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19). In the wake of this event, legions point their fingers at this nation. Inconsiderate of their contributions, culture, and capabilities. In retrospect, let us see the boon and bane of their society’s existence.
China is a global economic influencer. Almost half of our household belongings has an imprint of Made in China. A motive for their market to continually innovate. As their nation slowly rises on a universal scale, the United States reached out and made China a major commercial partner (Every CRS Report, 2019). Their resources garner them the titles of the world’s second-largest importer of merchandise goods and the third-largest importer of commercial services. Due to this, the World Bank commended the rapid rise of 800 million Chinese above poverty.
Figures have spoken. China’s workforce is undeniably needed globally. Without their services, acquiring materials would be of higher value. In vice versa, they also needed us.
The Chinese culture is one of the oldest in the world. The richness of this society’s beliefs and identity is overwhelming. International communities recognize their heritage sites, languages, religions, costumes, dances, music, and arts. Food tops this list.
The way to a man’s heart is really through his stomach. No homo sapien can refuse the flavor of oriental savor. Chinese cuisine is known for incorporating vegetables, citrus, herbs into meat. Their menu is unique, though some fellowmen took the rarity to another level. Chinese wet markets are known for the availability of exotic and illegal viands. Suggestions are implying that due to these consumptions, the outbreak happened. Health officials immediately ceased the products and advocate for ethical utilization. It has been tough for the nation to fully transmigrate to a better condition. For they have lived this way in centuries.
Sinocentrism of China. There is an ethnocentric ideology that China is the political, cultural, and economic center of the world (Ki, 2019). Their government is under this illusion. Countries like the Philippines and Hongkong are under their suppression. Respectively, issues regarding maritime area disputes and security laws are just some of the civil conflicts that other states have against the Beijing-capital.
Internally, the Middle Kingdom also has setbacks. The billion nation is led by one-party power. There are certain complaints about the lack of freedom of expression and information. Whistleblowers, oppositionists, and fact-checkers are quelled in this region. Pieces of information are also filtered. It is a cause for woke citizens to uproar disagreements for repression of their rights. Until today, the lack of unprocessed media coverage is considered to be the causal surge of the pandemic.
What would the world be then without China? The world would be less. Less populated. Less polluted. Less suppressed. Less diverse. At the same time, we would be more. More overpriced. More acknowledged. Maybe even freer. The extent though is unknown.
If we reminisce, we will encounter that China is not the first country to mother an outbreak. Throughout history, they were not the all-time-winner in the economy. A reason for building walls to protect their nation from outsiders. It was just a mere force of fate and nature that they are in this state. Sooner rather than later, other nations would embody the same aspects of the then fore sleeping giant.
References:
- Encyclopedia Britannica. (2021). China. Brittanica.com. Retrieved from: https://www.britannica.com/place/China/Relief
- Every CRS Report. (June 25, 2019). China’s Economic Rise: History, Trends, Challenges, and Implications for the United States. EveryCRSReport. Com. Retrieved from: https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/RL33534.html
- Ki. (2019). Sinocentrism — What is Sinocentrism In Chinese history? philnews. ph. Retrieved from: https://philnews.ph/2019/10/29/sinocentrism-what-is-sinocentrism-in-chinese-history/
