Lahore - In order to deepen understanding about China to distinguish myth from reality, the Chinese Acting Counsel General in Lahore Mr.Peng Zhengwu answered “Ten Basic Questions about China” in an interview.
1: Is China a communist country?
Answer: Precisely speaking, China today is a socialist country in the primary stage. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC), China has established a strong pillar system of state-owned enterprises, eliminated absolute poverty and achieved universal coverage of healthcare, and nine-year compulsory education. Although China has developed rapidly in recent decades and its overall national strength has increased significantly, it is still a developing country with its per capita GDP about 10,000 US dollars, ranking 68th in the world and equivalent to Mexico and Turkey. It is the ideal for the Chinese to build a communist society where all do their best, distributes goods according to their needs, enjoy equal rights and common prosperity.
2: Are all Chinese Communists?
Answer: Nearly 100 million people of China’s 1.4 billion population are Communists. In addition to the Communist Party, there are 8 democratic parties in China (mainland), and they all have their own party members across the country. Although the CPC is the largest party in the world, it is not easy to become its member. The CPC has high requirements for those who want to join. Only outstanding persons who believe in communism and undergo strict, systematic and comprehensive inspection can be accepted as party members.
3 :Are there any private enterprises in China?
Answer: There are currently about 30 million private enterprises in China, accounting for 90% of the total number of Chinese enterprises. As an important part of China’s economy, they have contributed more than 50% of national tax revenue, more than 60% of GDP, produced more than 70% of technological innovations, and provided more than 80% of urban employment. In Pakistan, Challenge, Xiaomi, VIVO, OPPO are well-known private enterprises in China.
4: Why are most of the commodities from China cheaper?
Answer: China has the most complete industrial categories in the world with an abundant labor force and a high level of technology. It produces a variety of products according to demands which are widely favored by various countries. Importers, based on their national consumption levels and market demands, usually import marketable commodities from China.
5: Does China has “Hollywood”?
Answer: Yes. Hengdian, a small town 350 kilometers away from Shanghai, has the world’s largest film and television shooting base, and is called “Chinese Hollywood” by the film industry. Approximately 500 movies and TV series are shot there every year, including blockbuster movies like Hero, The Mummy 3 and so on. Hengdian as a mirror of China’s film and television industry goes global. In recent years, companies such as Huayi Brothers, Bona Film Group, and Wanda Pictures are widely known in China. Many international movie stars such as Jackie Chan, Zhang Ziyi and Li Bingbing still bring excellent works to the world. Directors such as Zhang Yimou, Ang Lee, and Woo Yu-Sen enjoy worldwide popularity.
6: Are there mosques and Muslims in China?
Answer: With Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Eastern Orthodox, Islam, Judaism and other religions, China has the largest religious system in the world. There are nearly 200 million believers of various religions in China, which is equivalent to the entire population of Pakistan. There are around 30 million Muslims in China, and Muslims live in ethnic diversity. The Hui nationality is the largest Muslim group in China and has its own provincial autonomous region. There are more than 30,000 mosques in China, the oldest of which has a history of 1,400 years. Beijing has traditional Muslim neighborhoods and restaurants, which are very popular among tourists. Chinese companies and schools also provide halal food exclusively for Muslims.
7: Is there only one child in a family in China?
Answer: The contradiction between the huge population base and economic development has always been a problem for the whole world. Since 1982, in order to alleviate the pressure of economic development, China has implemented one-child policy, which has substantially improved everyone’s living standards. Over the past years, China has continuously adjusted its fertility policy with the situation changing. At present, China implements a policy that couples are allowed to have up to 3 children and relevant supporting measures.
8 : Do Chinese welcome foreigners?
Answer : Chinese culture is open and inclusive, and Chinese people are willing to interact with foreign countries. More than 30 million foreigners go to China every year. There are 850,000 foreigners living in China for a long time, including 120,000 Koreans, 70,000 Americans and 70,000 Japanese. Over 10,000 foreigners have obtained permanent residency cards in China, including “Father of the Euro” Robert Mundell and American basketball star Stephon Marbury.
9: How is the life of the Chinese minorities?
Answer: The Han nationality is the largest ethnic group in China. There are also 55 ethnic minorities with a population of 125 million, accounting for nearly 9% of the total population. The various ethnic groups in China live in a harmonious manner. China has established five provincial-level autonomous regions in areas with a relatively concentrated minority population, including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Xizang Autonomous Region. Some provinces also have a large number of municipal and county-level minority autonomous regions. These ethnic autonomous regions implement some special laws and preferential policies to protect and encourage the rights of ethnic minorities. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan H.E. Nong Rong comes from the largest ethnic minority in China—the Zhuang nationality.
10 :Do the Chinese people eat dog meat?
Answer : As far as I know, 99% of Chinese people don’t eat dog meat. Instead, they prefer chicken, pork, and beef in daily life. No one eats bats. 1% of people eat dog meat mostly because of historical famine memories, ethnic traditions, and regional customs. Nowadays, dogs and cats are loved by more. Many Chinese keep them as pets. And they are even regarded as family members. According to estimates, more than 100 million pet dogs or cats are kept in 500 million households in China. In other words, on average, one animal is raised in every five households.
Khawar Abbas Sandhu