Liberty and Security in Contemporary China

Noel Baxter

Fulbright-Hays Summer Seminar: China

Curriculum Unit

Grade Level: 11^th grade, honors

Course: Comparative World Studies

Unit Length: 6 days, 84 minute periods

Background: Students should be familiar with Chinese culture and modern history up through 1978.

Day 1: Liberty or Security?

Objective: Students will be able to evaluate the benefits and problems of guaranteeing security at the expense of liberty, and guaranteeing liberty at the expense of security.

Begin with a student discussion on the question: “Which would you rather have: the freedom to choose your job (although the job would not be guaranteed), or a guarantee that you will always have a job (even though you cannot choose the job)?”
Allow at least 30 minutes for the discussion. To conclude, summarize the arguments in favor of liberty and the arguments in favor of security.
(Extension question: Based on your knowledge of Chinese culture and history, in 1978, which do you think the people in China wanted more, liberty or security?)
Provide notes on the economic reforms since 1978 ( Deng’s reforms after 1978, protests in Tiananmen Square and government response, economic reforms in response to Tiananmen Square protests.)

See Appendix 1, “Chinese Government Response to Tiananmen Square Protests”

Day 2: Free Market Reforms in China – Pros and Cons

Objective: Students will be able to identify the key economic reforms in contemporary China, and assess the consequences of the free market reforms.

Give students some background notes on contemporary China and economic change (poverty rates, closure of State-owned enterprises, migrant workers, end of the five guarantees and iron rice bowl).
To better illustrate the consequences of the free market reforms in China, show the video, “In Search of China”. This video is 90 minutes, but it is divided into sections so you can show selections. Suggested sections with approximate times on tape: Shanghai and the Stock Market (0:03-00:18), Anhui and farm reform (00:18-00:23), Acheng Sugar Factory and Beijing migrant workers (00:40-1:01). Total time for suggested sections is about 45 minutes. See attached handout for video questions.
After the video, discuss: What are the pros and cons of the free market reforms in China? What are the major problems facing the Chinese people and government today?

See Appendix 2, “Economic Reform in China: “In Search of China””

Day 3 and 4: Current Controversies in China

Objective: Students will be able to identify key issues in contemporary China and evaluate the government position and the protesters’ positions on each issue. Students will be able to explain the limits on liberties in China, particularly political freedoms.

Students will work with a group to prepare a brief presentation on some of the current controversies in China (students will need one day to work with their group and prepare the presentation).
Each presentation will explain the background of the issue, the government position and the protesters’ position. Suggested topics include: Tibetan autonomy/independence, One-child policy, Response to the SARS epidemic, Taiwan independence, Censorship of the internet, and the Three Gorges Dam.
At the conclusion of each presentation, if time permits, other students should be asked to give their comments and opinions on the subject. Student presenters can prepare questions to ask the audience, and they should be encouraged to answer questions from the perspective of a Chinese person. See attached handout for suggested instructions.

See Appendix 3, “Current Controversies in China”

Day 5: Current Challenges in China

Objective: Students will be able to identify some of the main challenges facing Chinese society today.

Students will participate in a jigsaw to learn about several different challenges. Provide students with readings in advance, if possible, to be completed for homework. In class, students will first meet with the other students who read the same article (same issue). Suggested issues: growing elderly population, migrant workers, rural poor, education inequalities, development of a middle class, environmental degradation, gap between the rich and the poor.
As a group they should prepare a brief outline of facts to be shared with another group. Then, they should brainstorm a minimum of 2 policies they think the Chinese government could implement to address the problems.
When the base groups are finished, students will meet with another group, composed of one person from each base group. Each student should explain their outline of notes with the others, as the others take notes. After each student has finished sharing their information, they will share their proposed policies. Every group member should participate in evaluating the proposals, offering reasons to support the policy, but also noting problems.
After discussing all of the proposals, groups will determine whether they can come up with 1 or 2 reasonable policies that they feel would best address the majority of problems.
Groups will share their policies with the whole class.

Day 6: China’s political and economic future

Objective: Students will synthesize information about contemporary China to evaluate the political and economic future of China.

Provide students with additional resources (articles and readings) and the discussion questions to prepare for a scored discussion.

(Suggested reading: Gill, Bates. “China in transition: Is real change imminent?” From Great Decisions, 2003. <www.greatdecisions.org>)

Discussion Questions:

1. How can the Chinese government best provide for economic security amidst free-market reforms?

2. Can the Chinese government foster economic freedom and entrepreneurship without democratic political reforms?

3. What will be the impact of the new ideology, “Some must get rich faster than others”?

4. How can the Chinese government balance the need for economic growth and the instability caused by economic inequality?

5. How much political freedom is needed to continue economic development?

6. What would a Chinese “democracy” look like?

7. Can the Chinese government (CCP) maintain political control over a rapidly changing society?

Appendix 1

Chinese Government Response to Tiananmen Square Protests

Economic Reforms – NOT Political Reforms

Communist Party not willing to give up control of government
Communist Party still controls all aspects of government

Still strictly limited:

Freedom of the press – all media is controlled and censored by government
Freedom of religion – all churches must be approved by and registered with government
Democracy/Elections – no direct voting for national government
Freedom of association – all organizations must be approved by government and are overseen by a member of the Communist party

Communism v. Capitalism

Communism Capitalism

wealth is equally distributed 1. wealth is unevenly distributed
Basic needs guaranteed 2. basic needs not guaranteed (take care of self)
no opportunity for more reward 3. hard work rewarded

Economic Changes – Free-Market Reforms

· “Capitalism with Chinese characteristics”

· Private ownership of companies and businesses

· Stock Market

· “Three Guarantees” have ended

· State-owned factories are closing = unemployment

· Rural poverty is very severe

· Migrant workers – at least 100million people moving from country to city for work

· Rich people in cities buying cars, homes, designer fashions, technology, etc.

· Shanghai: in 1988, 2 privately owned cars - today, 1.5 million!

· New freedoms of travel and movement (domestic and international)

· 80 million internet users

· 145 million mobile phone subscribers

“Black cat, white cat, so long as it catches mice.”

“Some will get rich faster than others.”

“To get rich is glorious.”

Appendix 2

Economic Reform in China: “In Search of China”

Stock Market

1. How is the stock market changing China’s economy and culture?

2. Yang (stock trader): How was life under communism/socialism different from today’s China?

Farmers

3. How did farmers in Anhui create a force of change in China’s RURAL economy (farming structure)?

4. How did economic reform in the 1980s-90s help the Communist Party retain political power?

Acheng Sugar Factory

5. What happened to the Acheng Sugar Factory in the new economy?

6. How were workers treated under the old, planned economy?

7. Why does Mrs. Kang’s son want to die?

Migration

8. Where are the poor people from rural areas moving to and why?

9. How is this affecting the family structure and family relationships?

Appendix 3

Current Controversies in China

You will prepare a presentation that will give background information on the issue, present the government policy and the opposition to the government policy. Then everyone in the class will have an opportunity to share comments and questions about the issues

Step 1: Read background articles provided to you.

Step 2: Take notes on the following categories:

Background on the controversy (What is the issue? What is the history of this issue?)
Government policy (What is the Chinese government policy on this issue?)
Protester’s point of view (Why are people criticizing the government policy? What do they think the policy should be?)

Step 3: Work with your group in class to prepare an outline of important information for each of the three categories above.

Step 4: As a group, prepare a short presentation on your subject explaining all points of view on the controversy.

The presentation should include the following:

· 10 minutes explaining important information (all three categories above)

o Prepare notecards and evenly divide speaking responsibilities among group members

· 5 minutes of discussion and comments from the class

o Prepare 2-3 questions to ask the class to facilitate the discussion

· Visual Aid – this can be a poster(s), overhead(s) or PowerPoint

o The visual should show relevant pictures and bullet points

o Use the visuals with the spoken presentation

o Make sure the visuals are easy to see and read

Liberty and Security in Contemporary China

Day 2: Free Market Reforms in China – Pros and Cons

Day 3 and 4: Current Controversies in China

Day 5: Current Challenges in China

Day 6: China’s political and economic future

Farmers

Acheng Sugar Factory

Migration

Suggested articles for Current Controversies Project

Three Gorges Dam

One-Child Policy

Response to SARS

Taiwan

Censorship of the Internet