Current Status

China today can be compared to the Gilded Age of the U.S. There are all the good things that people see but underneath there is the bad stuff.

China's environment is suffering right now due to  neglect from the Chinese people. Forests are getting cut down and waters are being polluted. Chinese factories and cars are also polluting the environment, as shown in the graph on the left. In a recent study, results showed that of the ten most polluted cities in the world, seven are in China. Animals are also being threatened in China, which is home to the panda, tiger and countless endangered species.

China's culture has also been attacked by globalization. Many Chinese have felt the effects of it in their everyday lives. Kids are learning English before Chinese and Chinese are losing their identity. They are eating at McDonalds and drinking at Starbucks, which isn't good.  Many Western companies are also taking away from traditional Chinese architecture by putting up ugly buildings and advertisements.

Finally, China's economy. One of the major problems here is pirating of software. People can't afford Microsoft so they pirate software to get it cheap. Another problem is illegal trade. China is one of the most notorius countries for the use of heroin. Lastly, China's gap between the rich and poor is growing. Not only is there a gap between people, entire regions can be categorized into rich and poor. Shanghai for example, gains a lot more money than the rural areas.