Memorable Moments for China Watchers in 2016
Happy 2017 Pengyous!
At the end of 2015, we took a look at the most memorable moments in US-China relations. A lot happened in China in 2016 from major policy changes to historic meetings to adorable olympic athletes; if you blinked you might have missed it. Start 2017 off by taking a look at a few of the major moments in China from the past year:
1. The End of the One-Child Policy
January, 2016 – January 1st, 2016 saw the end of the 35 year policy that limited parents in China to one child. Concerns over an aging population and workforce as well as a growing gender gap due to a historic preference for sons had sparked debate among scholars and officials for years. However, despite a newfound reproductive freedom, many families are unsure about having more than one child due to the added financial pressure of additional children.
2. The 13th Five Year Plan
March, 2016 – Catchy theme song aside, the Shisanwu (十三五) laid out the economic, environmental, and development goals for the next five years in China. A quick look at the topics that were covered clearly show a continued emphasis on economic growth and development, but with the important addition of environmental stewardship. (Check out Bloomberg’s full report here)
3. One Belt One Road and Expanding Regional Influence
July, 2016 – Modeled after recapturing the glory days of the Silk Road, the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR) was first announced in 2014 and aims to increase regional cooperation and infrastructure between China and surrounding nations. The main areas concerning this cooperation include transportation, telecommunications, law, energy, IT and more. Within the past year, OBOR has successfully attracted international investments from Singapore, and other countries such as Iran, Turkey, and Arabic nations have also been considering a stake in it as well.
4. Fu Yuanhui’s Mystic Energy
August, 2016 – Winning a bronze medal for swimming backstroke in the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Fu Yuanhui charmed China (and the rest of the world) during an enthusiastic post-race interview. Her genuinely joyful reaction to her win and her unique and slightly flippant responses were a breath of fresh air for a nation that had previously valued gold medals above else.
5. Ratification of the Paris Climate Accords
September, 2016 – During the G20 Global Summit in Hangzhou, Presidents Obama and Xi announced that they would both agree to ratify the Paris Climate Accords which were set last year. It was a celebrated moment when both the US and China, the world’s two largest producers of greenhouse gases, pledged to reduce carbon emissions and lead the battle against climate change.
6. New System Alerting Citizens to Smog Threat
Nov-Dec., 2016 – It’s no secret that large swaths of China have an air pollution problem. Although an alert system was put in place in late 2015, we really began to see it being implemented this year. Earlier this winter, we started receiving text message warnings from the government advising people of predicted “smog days“. The new system also requires that if the pollution is bad enough, kids will stay home from school.
7. China & the US Presidential Election
November, 2016 – Of course, a presidential election in the United States has the potential to greatly upset the balance of international relations. In a surprising turn of events, Donald Trump’s win has left US-China relations in a state of uncertainty. Trump has no record of international diplomacy or politics from which we can draw predictions (although it’s clear from this viral video which came out during his campaign that China is on his mind). President Xi has said that he will be “watching the situation closely”, as will the rest of the world.
Did we leave something out? What was your most memorable moment involving China this year? Leave a comment below and let us know! Stay tuned for more news and resources in 2017. 加油 Pengyous!
Sources: The Diplomat, The National Interest, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Reuters