The world today has changed much since the end of the cold war. People are going places faster, and ideas can get to their destinations on the command of an enter key. Nations are no longer isolated, and cultures have been spreading faster than Superman. The term we use to describe all this is globalization. Globalization cannot be stopped, and it affects all countries, especially China. While the Chinese see many benefits to globalization, many of them do not realize the negative impact it is having on their country. Many problems brought about by globalization affect the areas of culture, the environment and trade and industry.
Many Chinese (and American) people can see that China is slowly building a trading empire over us. They are getting wealthier than ever, and things seem to be going well. But this isn't the only effect that globalization has brought to their country. "Globalization has promoted economic growth, while at the same time; it has caused social problems such as the unequal distribution of income" (Rongshu). The gap between the rich and the poor has grown tremendously because of globalization bringing all the wealth to China but not distributing it in a way that benefits society. As well as widening the gap between the rich and the poor, entire regions are being affected as well. "Foreign Direct Investment has so far been concentrated in the coastal region of China and this has widened regional economic differences" (Globalization101). Not only has globalization brought about economic differences and weakened the Chinese economy, but the trade of unwanted products has also reached China. "For some countries, freer trade leads to lower prices of bad products, such as tobacco, which leads to smoking and disease" (Dollar). Other problems arise as the Chinese economy shifts towards globalization. Microsoft has placed many assets in China and hopes to expand there, but some problems have come up. Many people in China cannot afford Microsoft software so they are forced to buy pirated editions from people on the street. "After investigating for several months, the administration found that from November 2001 to June 2003, Beijing Zhongxinlian Digital Technology Share Holding Company had duplicated 55,000 pieces of Microsoft software" (China Daily). The Chinese economy may be benefiting from globalization for now, but there are also negative effects that need to be paid attention to, like the effects in the environment.
China is a large country blessed with a variety of animals, plants and climates. Unfortunately, due to globalization, this could change. Because so many people populate China now, the environment is going to the dump quite fast. China's energy consumption is considerable, second only to the U.S. "In 2001, China accounted for 9.8% of world energy consumption. By 2025, projections indicate that China will be responsible for 14.2% of world energy consumption" (eiadoe.gov). This rapid consumption causes many problems to the environment, such as air pollution. "Sulfur dioxide and soot caused by coal combustion are two major air pollutants, resulting in the formation of acid rain which falls on 30% of China's total land area" (eiadoe.gov). Acid rain falling on 1/3 of a nation as big as China is a major problem that needs to be fixed. Another problem is deforestation. The destruction of forests, this can cause major environmental problems. During the last five years, Chinese loggers had exceeded their logging quotas and limits by an average of 75 million cubic meters. The logging peaked last year, with about 82 million cubic meters being cut down" (waterconserve.com). Not only does this harm trees, it destroys many habitats that endangered species live in. This forces them to move to areas they have not adapted to and they die out. Surprisingly, logging and hunting aren't the only reasons that endangered species are being wiped out. "Conservationists say CITES protected species are readily available in China, where consumers are so hungry for things exotic that many new species have become endangered and concerned groups find they cannot give protection quickly enough" (Reuters). The Chinese environment needs to be saved because it has so many animals and different kinds of plants. The environment is that important, and something just as significant is the Chinese culture.
Chinese culture is one of the most extensive, with many traditions, art and holidays. The Chinese have many holidays, but one of the most important and well known is their new year. "This year, the Chinese New Year began February 9, and it is the year of the rooster" (chinapage.com). Unfortunately, some families who had time for this holiday before can't celebrate it as extensively because many of their fathers are working during the holiday because we don't celebrate it. Another aspect of Chinese culture that is being taken away is the invasion of U.S. companies. "We see many (mainly Western) multinationals taking the lead in establishing themselves and proliferating their presence in almost every part of the world. Companies such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Nestle are leading the way" (Soon). This detracts from Chinese culture and takes away the value of their food. Its not just food, almost everything the Chinese have is beginning to Americanize. " The food we eat and the clothes we wear are in many ways determined by globalization, and in doing so our lifestyle begins to change in a dramatic way" (Soon). Many people think that globalization I just some people complaining about McDonalds, but it is much more than that. Almost everything is being affected by globalization, even languages. "Many dialects used by the Chinese have suffered due to the popularity of English and the necessity for young people to learn it, but this seems to be the price Chins is willing to pay in order to modernize and join the world" (Noi Sui). The Chinese are facing an invasion, only with corporations rather than the U.S. military.
Although it might not seem like it, China is not in very good shape. Yes, it is making money, but is that really better than having an environment or a good culture? And even though they are making money, their trade and industry is still suffering. And all og this is caused by globalization. It is something that cannot be stopped, but not all of it is bad. It can help countries, but they need to be able to filter out all the bad stuff about globalization before a nation can embrace it.