Chp13 Taiwan

China and Taiwan issue is a sensitive topic. The People's Republic of China asserts that there is only "One China" and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. According to a historical perspective, Taiwanese indeed fled to the island from the mainland of China. China and Taiwan, while in practice maintaining a fragile "status quo" relationship, periodically grow impatient with the diplomatic patchwork that has kept the island separate from the Communist mainland since 1949.  After losing the civil war to Communist Chinese and fleeing to Taiwan in 1949, the nationalist Kuomintang (KMT) leaders of the Republic of China regarded the Communist Chinese government as illegitimate, claiming the mainland as rightfully their own. Beijing, in turn, regards Taiwan as a renegade province, and has tried repeatedly to persuade the island to negotiate a return to the fold. Look at it this way they originally belonged to China. Since they proposed to be another country and independent by themselves, China cannot allow and acceptable that. They are Chinese why they need to established another country, even though they lose civil war. This issue makes me more confuse. China is step back for China and Taiwan solidarity and peace, so put forward the policy of "one country, two systems", but the Taiwan government still cannot take a step back to accept any conditions. Lead to the relationship between China and Taiwan are tension. In the other way that I think Taiwan has courage to still decide independent because the U.S supports their military weapon. Taiwan's strategic security rests heavily on the implied guarantees offered by the United States over the years--guarantees made more concrete than ever during the administration of George W. Bush, who pledged in 2002 to "do what it takes to help Taiwan defend herself, and the Chinese must understand that." China has consistently protested U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Anyway, Taiwan is a very beautiful island. It is a worthwhile tourist place.

Chp12 Hong Kong and Macau

Chinese people always want to be able to complete and unified China. Since the return of Hong Kong and Macau, to restore the territorial integrity of China goes a step further. The relationship between Hong Kong and mainland China is complex. Beijing for the most part has kept its promise to uphold the ‘one country, two systems’ mandate. Officially, Hong Kong is considered a ‘Special Administrative Region’ (SAR), which means that it is treated as a separate country from an immigration standpoint and continues to circulate its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar. Hong Kong also retains an independent legal and judicial system inherited from the previous British rulers. The Chinese government is responsible for the management of Hong Kong's foreign affairs and defense. On the basis of the basic law of the Hong Kong special administrative region shall enjoy the executive power, legislative and independent judicial power, including that of final adjudication. Keep the original Hong Kong society, economic system, lifestyle unchanged and also law basically remain unchanged. Hong Kong residents shall enjoy various rights and freedoms. The gradual development of the Hong Kong special administrative region will be suitable for democracy in Hong Kong's actual situation. Hong Kong after the handover will continue to maintain the status of free port, continue to play to the role of the international financial, trade and shipping center, to continue with other countries regions and relevant international organizations to develop economic and cultural relations. Already, Hong Kong property developers are active in the mainland real estate market with Chinese companies eager to learn from their expertise. The cozy relationship between Hong Kong developers and mainland SOEs is a cause for concern by Hong Kong citizens, as they see their local developers as more interested in appeasing Beijing authorities than providing affordable housing for its own citizens.

Hong Kong

The benefits of Macau SAR.First of all, let us recall that Macau, as one of two SARs of China, enjoys broad autonomy in various sectors (it maintains its own legal system, security forces, monetary system, customs and immigration policy). This high degree of autonomy has allowed Macau to establish itself as one of the most open economies in the world in terms of trade and investment, according to the World Trade Organisation, not only because of its enviable geographical location at the Delta Pearl River and its close ties with Guangdong Province and the Hong Kong SAR, but also because it is a free port and an independent customs area. Macau has a favourable environment for business, with a simple tax system and a reduced tax burden (the Complementary tax rate does not exceed 12%), which allows it to be an offshore financial centre and a platform for import / export between these regions and other economic partners. These competitive advantages are reinforced by the various agreements signed with the mainland (among which the Closer Economic Partnership Agreement between the mainland and Macau, the Pan-Pearl River Delta Regional Co-operation Framework Agreement, the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta, and the Framework Agreement on Co-operation Between Guangdong and Macau), as well as the network of contacts established by the Macau SAR in the international market.On the other hand, the Portuguese heritage in Macau is an undeniable advantage in establishing trade relations with PSC, to the extent that the language and legal systems differ little between these countries. If the language is presented as the most immediate point of contact between Macau and its PSC economic partners, its legal system, heir of the Portuguese legislation that remained in force in the peninsula as a result of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration and the Macau Basic Law, is essentially identical to the Portuguese legal system and, by extension, to those of other Portuguese Speaking countries

Macau

Chp 10 Urban China

                  SiHeYuanUrbanization in China

A siheyuan is a historical type of residence that was commonly found throughout China, most famously in Beijing. In English, siheyuan are sometimes referred to as Chinese quadrangles. The name literally means a courtyard surrounded by four buildings. Throughout Chinese history, the siheyuan composition was the basic pattern used for residences, palaces, temples, monasteries, family businesses and government offices. In ancient times, a spacious siheyuan would be occupied by a single, usually large and extended family, signifying wealth and prosperity. Today, many remaining siheyuan are still used as housing complexes, but many lack modern amenities. Siheyuan dates back as early as the Western Zhou period, and has a history of over 2,000 years. They exhibit outstanding and fundamental characteristics of Chinese architecture. They exist all across China and are the template for most Chinese architectural styles. Siheyuan also serves as a cultural symbol of Beijing and a window into its old ways of life. Modern Beijing's population boom has made housing one of city's biggest challenges. Siheyuan today are typically used as housing complexes, hosting multiple families, with courtyards being developed to provide extra living space. The living conditions in many siheyuan are quite poor, with very few having private toilets. In the 1990s, systematic demolition of old urban buildings took place in Beijing under rapid economic development. Many siheyuan are being torn down to address the problem of overcrowding, and have been replaced by modern apartment blocks. However, after reforms were launched at the end of 1978, urban population growth began to accelerate.