Lesson 2/65 min
China
Basics
- China has land borders with 14 countries, the most in the world; Russia also has 14 (asked in the 36th BCS).
- Old name: Cathay. The largest country of Asia by area (Russia spans two continents, so it is left out of this count).
- The Yangtze is China's longest river; in ancient times the Hwang Ho changed course 26 times and caused floods (as the book says). City civilisation arose in China about four thousand years ago.
- In 1929 a prehistoric human skull was found near Peking (today's Beijing).
- The world's largest army is the People's Liberation Army (PLA); the legislature, the National People's Congress, is the world's largest parliament.
- The legislature meets in the Great Hall of the People at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, built in 1958 (the 32nd BCS asked its country: China).
- National sport: ping pong (table tennis), according to the book.
- Top producer of garments, textiles, fish, meat, rice, wheat and food grain. China also leads in wind power and in carbon emissions (Government Service Commission 2023-24; 7-college admission test).
Watch out: One book question gives “most populous country: China”. That is out of date: India has been the most populous country since 2023. By purchasing power (PPP) China is now the world's largest economy; a DU admission test (2022-23) called China “not a high-income country” on per-capita income.
Stages of Chinese history
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1839–1842 | First Opium War; China loses to Britain; Treaty of Nanking in 1842 |
| 1856–1860 | Second Opium War; Britain wins again |
| 1911 | The Chinese revolution overthrows the Manchu dynasty |
| 1912 | The Republic of China is founded; Sun Yat-sen is the first president |
| 1 October 1949 | Communists win the civil war; Mao Zedong proclaims the People's Republic of China (PRC) at Tiananmen Square |
| 1966–1976 | The Cultural Revolution under Mao Zedong; it ends with his death in 1976 |
| 1989 | Students and intellectuals demand democracy at Tiananmen Square; harsh crackdown (June) |
| 2013 | Xi Jinping announces the “One Belt One Road” plan |
The civil war
- The war was between followers of the Communist Party (CPC) and the Nationalist party (KMT); the Communists won under Mao Zedong.
- The Nationalist leaders took refuge in Taiwan and kept the Republic of China going there; communism was established in China in 1949 (asked at DU and JU).
- Mao Zedong is the founder of the PRC and also the originator of the “Great Leap Forward” programme (1958–62).
Watch out: Many books call Mao Zedong the “father of the Chinese nation”, but Zubair's book itself corrects this: the father of the nation is Sun Yat-sen. Mao is the founder of the PRC.
Famous people of China
| Name | Known for |
|---|---|
| Sun Yat-sen | Father of the Republic; first president of the Republic of China (1912); fought the Manchu dynasty; was abroad during the 1911 revolution; died 12 March 1925 |
| Mao Zedong | A primary-school teacher in early life; leader of the communist revolution; proclaimed the PRC in 1949 |
| Confucius (551–479 BC) | Regarded as China's greatest philosopher; Laozi was a near-contemporary philosopher |
| Sun Tzu | Author of “The Art of War” (JU 2021-22) |
| Jack Ma | Entrepreneur who founded Alibaba.com; he has retired as chairman of Alibaba |
Wolf-warrior diplomacy and more
- “Wolf-warrior diplomacy” is linked with China (asked in the BCS).
- The modern merit-based civil service began in China; “Weibo” is China's own social-media platform.
- The Nathu La pass connects India and China (railway exam 2024); the China–India war was in 1962 (45th BCS).
- China removed the presidential term limit in 2018, the first such step in Asia (DU 2018-19). It has also been called a major dumping ground for electronic waste (DU 2014-15).
- The main aim of the “Shanghai Five” was settling border disputes (Zubair's answer key); formed in 1996 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, it became the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2001.
- China's emperor was called “Son of God” (really “Son of Heaven”) (12th teacher registration).
- China proposed the Global Development Initiative (46th BCS).
Check yourself
When and where was the People's Republic proclaimed?
At a glance
- 1
China has land borders with 14 countries; old name Cathay; longest river the Yangtze.
- 2
The PRC was proclaimed on 1 October 1949 by Mao Zedong; the Cultural Revolution ran from 1966 to 1976.
- 3
Sun Yat-sen is the father of the Chinese nation; first president in 1912; the Manchu dynasty fell in 1911.
- 4
The legislature is the National People's Congress, in the Great Hall of the People (Beijing); the PLA is the world's largest army.
- 5
Confucius was China's greatest philosopher; Sun Tzu wrote “The Art of War”; Jack Ma founded Alibaba.
- 6
China–India war in 1962; Nathu La links India and China; China removed the presidential term limit in 2018.