Any university for that matter is an encapsulation of the totality of learning beyond any border. It is at the heart of our universality and appreciation of the culture of learning. In spite of the misguided and often wrong portrayal of China and its steep rise in the West, students from Western countries make up the single largest number of foreign students studying in China.
The richness of Chinese heritage, music, ancient archeology and the diversity of various Chinese feats of human development, attract peoples of all colors and shades to make China a preferred destination. Mathematics applies the same anywhere in the world where 2+2=4. Is that really the case? Precisely yes folks.
There is no fundamental difference after all. Day one of our exchange program brought us in contact with an ace Professor specialized in Chinese National Conditions. Professor Zhang Yiting of the China Foreign Affairs University ? a former Foreign Service personnel ? provided participants insights into China's geography; 9.6 million sq/km. From north to south China measures 5,500km; 5,200km east-west; a coastal line of more than 32,000km as well as 18,000km of the mainland and 14,000 of the country's 6,000 islands.
China's boundary line amounts to 22,117km; its lowest point ? Turpan Pendi equals 154m; the highest point ? Mt Qomolangma totals 8.850m while arable land is measured at 14.86%. China territorial sea calculates at 12 nautical miles; exclusive economic zone is 200 nautical miles and continental shelf ? 200 nautical miles. In terms of climate zones, the country has a combination of tropical, subtropical, temperate, medium temperate, and frigid.
Climate zoning is also vertically seen on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The temperature varies from place to place. Towards the extreme northeast it records -30°C and above 20°C in the farthest southern tip (January). China operates a single Standard Time (GMT +8) all year round. There is nothing like daylight saving time as in the United States. The reason has been based on conflict in the aviation sector. The country's population stands at 1,330,004,605; a growth rate of 0.629% coupled with a birth at 13.71% per a population of 1,000 while death rate is estimated at 7.03% for a population of every 1000.
Participants, of course, were taken through some historical and social evolution of the people of China. Between 2704 ? 2000 B.C., some five emperors reigned China during a period referred to as 'Late Neolithic Age, Tribal Society'. From 2000 ? 1600 B.C., the Xia Dynasty that characterized the advent of stones and bronzes emerged. By 1066 ? 771 B.C., the Shang Dynasty rose to prominence amid the period of Bronzes and City States. From 1066 ? 771 B.C. Zhou Dynasty ? bronzes and irons, feudal vassal states under the rule of the king prevailed. The skeletal chronology of China continued with the rise of the Qin Dynasty, which saw the abolition of the vassal states, introduction of unification and harsh authoritarianism.
This was followed by the Imperial Dynasties built on feudal agriculture society, development, stagnation, declining in the mid 1900s. In 1912 A.D., rose the Republic of China, which was marred by warlordism, war of Resistance against Japan and civil wars. 1949 A.D. ignited the birth of the People's Republic of China and ushered in the period of modernization.
China is ostensibly a multi-united nation of 56 ethnic groups. 91.6% of the population belong to the Han ethnic group while China's other ethnic groups are customarily referred to as ethnic minorities. Equality, unity, mutual help and common prosperity are basic principles of the Chinese government in handing the relations between ethnics groups.
This gives rise to the government's regional ethnic autonomy system. Where ethnic minorities dwell in compact communities, autonomous organs of self-government are established under the unified leadership of the state. Indeed the minority people exercise autonomous rights and are masters in their own areas and administered their own affairs. Besides, the state makes great efforts in training ethnic minority cadres and professional technicians in institutions of higher learning, universities, colleges and cadres schools for ethnic minorities. The law on Ethnic Autonomy was adopted in 1984 at the Second Session of the Sixth National People's Congress. The law specifically guarantees that the constitutionally decreed regional ethnic autonomy system is carried out.
China is a largely religious tolerant society and maintains religious policies to safeguard a great diversity of religious beliefs. There are over 100 million followers of various religious faiths; more than 85,000 sites for religious activities; some 300,000 clergy and over 3,000 religious organizations and 74 religious schools and colleges run by these organizations.
Historically, Buddhism existed for 2,000 years in China. There are 13,000 Buddhist temples in China; 200,000 Buddhist monks and nuns, including more than 1,700 Living Buddhas; 3,000 temples of Tibetan Buddhism; 10,000 Bhiksu and senior monks and more than 25,000 temples of Pali Buddhism.
Catholicism was introduced into China in the 7th century and was not widespread until after the Opium War in 1840. China has a population of 4 million Catholics, 4,000 clergy; more than 4,600 churches and meeting houses at present.
Islam on the other hand, reached China in the 17th Century mainly among the 18 million Hui and Uygur ethnic groups; there are 30,000-odd mosques, 40,000 lmams and Akhunds. The Protestants first arrived in China in the early 19th Century. It spread widely after the Opium War. There are 10 million believers; 18,000 clergy; 12,000 churches and 25,000 meeting places. The Chinese government resolutely opposes any attempt to split the country along ethnic and any use of religious fanaticism to divide the people, split the country or harm the unity among all ethnic groups or engage in illegal activities and terrorist actions under the signboard of religion.
(Ekena is writing from Beijing, China)
Source: The Heritage Newspaper, June 5, 2008
