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The
People
of China
 China
is the most populous country in the world, with 1,265.83
million (2001), about 22 percent of the world's total.
This figure does not include many Chinese in the Hong Kong
Special Administrative Region, Taiwan Province and Macao.
The
population density in China is 130 people per square km.
This population, however, is unevenly distributed.
Along the densely populated east coast there are more
than 400 people per sq km; in the central areas, over 200;
and in the sparsely populated plateaus in the west there are
less than 10 people per sq km.
When
New China was founded in 1949, China had a population of
541.67 million. Owing to China's stable society, rapid
production development, improvement of medical and health
conditions, insufficient awareness of the importance of
population growth control and shortage of experience, the
population grew rapidly, reaching 806.71 million in 1969.
In
the early 1970s, the Chinese government realized that the
over-rapid population growth was harmful to economic and
social development, and would cause great difficulties in
the fields of employment, housing, communications, and
medical care; and that China could not effectively
check the over-rapid population growth, and alleviate the
tremendous pressure that the population growth was
exerting on land, forest, and water resources, the worsening
of the ecology and the environment in the coming
decades would be disastrous, thus endangering the
necessary conditions for the survival of humanity, and
sustainable social and economic development.
Then
the Chinese government began implementing a family planning,
population control and population quality improvement
policy in accordance with China's basic conditions of being a
large country with a poor economic foundation, a large
population and little cultivated land, so as to promote
the coordinated development of the economy, society,
resources and environment.
Since
then birth rates have steadily declined year by year.
China's birth rate dropped from 34.11 per thousand in
1969 to 16.03 per thousand at the end of 1998; and the
natural growth rate decreased from 26.08 per thousand to
9.53 per thousand, thus basically realizing a change in the
population reproduction type to one characterized by
low-birth, low-death and low-increase rates.
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FAMILY
PLANNING
 China's
family planning policy combines government guidance
with the wishes of the masses. The basic
requirements of family planning are late marriages and
late child-bearing, so as to have fewer, but
healthier, babies, especially one child per couple.
But a flexible family planning policy is adopted for
rural people and ethnic minorities; in rural areas,
couples may have second baby in exceptional cases, but
must wait several years after the birth of the first
child.
In areas inhabited by minority peoples, each ethnic
group may work out different regulations in accordance
with its wish, population, natural resources, economy,
culture and customs: In general, a couple may have a
second baby or a third child in some places. As
for ethnic minorities with extremely small
populations, a couple may have as many children as
they want.
Profound
changes have taken place in the people's viewpoints on
marriage, childbearing and the family. Late
marriage, late childbearing and fewer but healthier
babies are the accepted norms of the most people in
China. Now the people have a common
understanding that there is no difference between a
son or a daughter.
It has become a custom to set up a small happy,
harmonious family, and pursue a scientific and
civilized lifestyle. Meanwhile, family planning
has helped Chinese women get rid of the burden of
frequent childbearing and the heavy family burden
after marriage, thus raising women's status and
improving the health of both mothers and children.
China's
family planning policy combines government guidance
with the wishes of the masses. The basic
requirements of family planning are late marriages and
late child-bearing, so as to have fewer, but
healthier, babies, especially one child per couple.
But a flexible family planning policy is adopted for
rural people and ethnic minorities; in rural areas,
couples may have second baby in exceptional cases, but
must wait several years after the birth of the first
child.
In areas inhabited by minority peoples, each ethnic
group may work out different regulations in accordance
with its wish, population, natural resources, economy,
culture and customs: In general, a couple may have a
second baby or a third child in some places. As
for ethnic minorities with extremely small
populations, a couple may have as many children as
they want.
Profound
changes have taken place in the people's viewpoints on
marriage, childbearing and the family. Late
marriage, late childbearing and fewer but healthier
babies are the accepted norms of the most people in
China. Now the people have a common
understanding that there is no difference between a
son or a daughter.
It has become a custom to set up a small happy,
harmonious family, and pursue a scientific and
civilized lifestyle. Meanwhile, family planning
has helped Chinese women get rid of the burden of
frequent childbearing and the heavy family burden
after marriage, thus raising women's status and
improving the health of both mothers and children.
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THE
FAMILY
China
has 340 million families, with 3.63 people per
household on average. In general, a Chinese
family is composed of a couple and their children, but
big families with three or more generations can also
be found in China. Along with the pursuit of
personal freedom, the trend of forming small families
with only directly related members is now prevalent.
In
the past, each Chinese family had a "head,"
who had absolute authority at home, and had the final
say in family affairs. But now in most Chinese
families, the husband and wife, or a couple with other
family members, work out together the household plans,
and decide family affairs through consultation.
Moreover, family members share the housework, making
the division of labor at home more reasonable; and the
husband and wife support each other's work.
The
Chinese people have the tradition of respecting the
old and loving the young. Though many young
couples do not live with their parents, they maintain
close contact with them. Grown up children have
the duty to support and help their parents. The
Chinese people attach great importance to relations
between family members and relatives, and cherish
their parents, children, brothers and sister, uncles,
aunts and other relatives.
China
has 340 million families, with 3.63 people per
household on average. In general, a Chinese
family is composed of a couple and their children, but
big families with three or more generations can also
be found in China. Along with the pursuit of
personal freedom, the trend of forming small families
with only directly related members is now prevalent.
In
the past, each Chinese family had a "head,"
who had absolute authority at home, and had the final
say in family affairs. But now in most Chinese
families, the husband and wife, or a couple with other
family members, work out together the household plans,
and decide family affairs through consultation.
Moreover, family members share the housework, making
the division of labor at home more reasonable; and the
husband and wife support each other's work.
The
Chinese people have the tradition of respecting the
old and loving the young. Though many young
couples do not live with their parents, they maintain
close contact with them. Grown up children have
the duty to support and help their parents. The
Chinese people attach great importance to relations
between family members and relatives, and cherish
their parents, children, brothers and sister, uncles,
aunts and other relatives.
China
has 340 million families, with 3.63 people per
household on average. In general, a Chinese
family is composed of a couple and their children, but
big families with three or more generations can also
be found in China. Along with the pursuit of
personal freedom, the trend of forming small families
with only directly related members is now prevalent.
In
the past, each Chinese family had a "head,"
who had absolute authority at home, and had the final
say in family affairs. But now in most Chinese
families, the husband and wife, or a couple with other
family members, work out together the household plans,
and decide family affairs through consultation.
Moreover, family members share the housework, making
the division of labor at home more reasonable; and the
husband and wife support each other's work.
The
Chinese people have the tradition of respecting the
old and loving the young. Though many young
couples do not live with their parents, they maintain
close contact with them. Grown up children have
the duty to support and help their parents. The
Chinese people attach great importance to relations
between family members and relatives, and cherish
their parents, children, brothers and sister, uncles,
aunts and other relatives.
FIFTY-SIX
ETHNIC GROUPS
China
is a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups.
According to the fourth national census, taken in
1990, the Han people made up 91.96% of the country's
total population, and the other 55 ethnic groups,
8.04%. As the majority of the population is of
the Han ethnic group, China's other ethnic groups are
customarily referred to as the national minorities.
The Han
people can be found throughout the country, though
mainly on the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow
River, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River valleys
and the Northeast plain. The national
minorities, though fewer in number, are also scattered
over a vast areas, and can be found in approximately
64.3 percent of China, mainly distributed in the
border regions from northeast China to north,
northwest, and southwest China.
Yunnan Province, home to more than 20 ethnic groups,
has the greatest diversity of minority people in
China. In most of China's cities and county
town, two or more ethic groups live together.
Taking shape over China's long history, this
circumstance of different ethic groups "living
together in one area while still living in individual
compact communities in special areas: continues to
provide the practical basis for political, economic
and cultural intercourse between the Han and the
various minority peoples, and for the functioning of
the autonomous national minority areas system.
China
is a united multi-ethnic nation of 56 ethnic groups.
According to the fourth national census, taken in
1990, the Han people made up 91.96% of the country's
total population, and the other 55 ethnic groups,
8.04%. As the majority of the population is of
the Han ethnic group, China's other ethnic groups are
customarily referred to as the national minorities.
The Han
people can be found throughout the country, though
mainly on the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow
River, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River valleys
and the Northeast plain. The national
minorities, though fewer in number, are also scattered
over a vast areas, and can be found in approximately
64.3 percent of China, mainly distributed in the
border regions from northeast China to north,
northwest, and southwest China.
Yunnan Province, home to more than 20 ethnic groups,
has the greatest diversity of minority people in
China. In most of China's cities and county
town, two or more ethic groups live together.
Taking shape over China's long history, this
circumstance of different ethic groups "living
together in one area while still living in individual
compact communities in special areas: continues to
provide the practical basis for political, economic
and cultural intercourse between the Han and the
various minority peoples, and for the functioning of
the autonomous national minority areas system.
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REGIONAL
AUTONOMY FOR MINORITY PEOPLES
Equality,
unity, mutual help and common prosperity are the basic
principles of the Chinese government in handling the
relations between ethnic groups. The
Constitution of the PRC specifies that all ethic
groups are equal. The state guarantees the
lawful rights and interests of the minority peoples.
Discrimination against or oppression of any ethnic
group is prohibited; all acts that undermine the unity
of the ethnic groups or create division among them are
forbidden. Big ethnic group chauvinism, mainly
Han-chauvinism, or chauvinism in a local level, is
banned. Every ethnic group has the freedom to
use its own spoken and written languages, and to
retain or changes its customs.
In
accordance with these basic policies, China practices
a system whereby national minorities exercise regional
autonomy. Where national minorities live in
compact communities autonomous organs of
self-government are established under the unified
leadership of the Central Government.
The minority people shall exercise autonomous rights,
be masters in their own areas and administer the
internal affairs of their ethnic group. The
National Minority Regional Autonomy Law adopted in 984
by the Second Session of the Sixth National People's
Congress provides specific guidelines for guaranteeing
that the constitutionally decreed national minority
regional autonomy system is carried out.
In addition to five autonomous regions (Inner Mongolia
Autonomous Region, founded on May 1, 1947; Xinjiang
Uygur Autonomous Region, founded on October 1, 1955;
Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, founded on March 5,
1958; Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, founded on
October 25, 1958; and Tibet Autonomous Region, founded
on September 9, 1965), China currently has 30
autonomous prefectures and 120 autonomous counties (or
in some cases "banners"), in addition to
more than 1,300 ethnic townships.
Self-government is autonomous national minority areas
is affected through the people's congress and people's
government at the particular local level. The
chairperson or vice-chairperson of the standing
committee of the people's congress and the head
of the government of an autonomous region, autonomous
prefecture or autonomous county should be from the
area's designated minority people.
Organs
of self-government is regional autonomous areas enjoy
extensive self-government rights beyond those held b
other state organs at the same level. These
include enacting regulations on autonomy and special
regulations corresponding to local political, economic
and culture conditions, having independent control of
the local revenue, and independently arranging and
managing construction, education, science, culture,
public health and other local undertakings.
The Central Government has greatly assisted in the
training of minority cadres and technicians through
the establishment of national minority universities.
It has, in addition, supplied the national minority
autonomous areas with large quantities of financial
aid and material resources in order to promote their
economic and cultural development.
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