Thursday, January 27, 2011

When China Rules the World (Oh, that's so 1776!)

Anyone who is concerned about the Rise of China apoplexy that is sweeping the USA and, to a lesser extent, Europe should look at Martin Jacques's TED Talk.  Jacques is a writer, journalist and public intellectual. The talk is a very concise summary of the main ideas of his 2009 book When China Rules the World: The Rise of the Middle Kingdom and the End of the Western World.

Jacques's economic analysis is nothing special.  A new book on China's economic rise is published every week.  However, he has original and interesting things to say about  China as a 'civilization-state" rather than a "nation-state", about Chinese attitudes toward race and about the relationship of the state to society.  Of course, all of these themes are more fully treated in the book than in the 24 minute TED video.  One of the more interesting points omitted from the video is that modern China's relations with it's east Asian neighbors may be evolving into a tributary nation system which reached its previous height in the 17th and 18th centuries.

China was arguably the dominant world power in those days.  The British empire did not reach its peak until the 19th century and the Spanish was already in decline. The Ottoman empire centered on Constantinople had begun to come apart at the seams.

Here's an interesting chart of the world's largest cities over time. (Source: http://geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa011201a.htm)  I have highlighted the Chinese ones.


CityYear
Became #1
Population Information
Memphis, Egypt3100 BCEWell over 30,000
Akkad, Babylonia (Iraq)2240
Lagash, Babylonia (Iraq)2075
Ur, Babylonia (Iraq)203065,000
Thebes, Egypt1980
Babylon, Babylonia (Iraq)1770
Avaris, Egypt1670
Memphis, Egypt1557
Thebes, Egypt1400
Nineveh, Assyria (Iraq)668
Babylon, Babylonia (Iraq)612First above 200,000
Alexandria320
Pataliputra (Patna), India300
Changan (Xi'an), China195400,000
Rome25450,000 (100 CE)
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey340 CE400,000 (500)
Ctesiphon, Iraq570
Changan (Xi'an), China637400,000 (622); 600,000 (800)
Baghdad, Iraq775First over 1 million; 700,000 (800)
Cordova, Spain935
Kaifeng, China1013400,000 (1000); 442,000 (1100)
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey1127
Merv (Mary), Turkmenistan1145200,000 (1150)
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey1153
Fez (Fes), Morocco1170
Hangzhou, China1180255,000 (1200); 320,000 (1250)
Cairo, Egypt1315
Hangzhou, China1348432,000 (1350)
Nanking, China1358487,000 (1400)
Beijing, China1425600,000 (1450); 672,000 (1500)
Constantinople (Istanbul), Turkey1650700,000 (1650 & 1700)
Beijing, China1710900,000 (1750); 1.1 million (1800)
London, United Kingdom1825First over 5 million; 1.35 million (1825); 2.32 million (1850); 4.241 million (1875); 6.480 million (1900)
New York1925First over 10 million; 7.774 million (1925), 12.463 million (1950)
Tokyo1965First over 20 million; 23 million (1975)

News Flash: Chinese Genetic Engineers Create FrankenBunny!!!

As Chinese President Hu Jintao was checking out a city-center home for sale at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue his countrymen were preparing for the Lunar New Year celebration in early February.  While most Americans are aware of the amazing progress the Chinese have made in manufacturing and international trade, most haven't heard about the amazing leap the country has quietly made in the field of genetic science.  That is about to change.

On midnight February 2 the Year of the Tiger ends and the Year of the Rabbit begins. To commemorate the occasion in Beijing Chinese scientists will announce that they have successfully crossed a tiger and a rabbit.  Although up to now this research has been a closely guarded secret, photos of the first bunny tigers have begun to leak out and some can be seen here.  Please note that the photos give no clue as to whether this critter is tiger-sized or rabbit-sized. It could give a whole new meaning to "hopping down the bunny trail."

Many of you know that I have been involved with tiger conservation since the early 1990s.  I have contacted several conservation scientists to get their expert views.  They unanimously have very low opinions of previous Chinese efforts to save the tiger from extinction but are intrigued about the prospects for this new initiative.


All I can say is 祝大家兔年大吉。兔脚为你开财路,兔耳为你撞鸿运,兔背为你驮康寿,让这头兔永远伴你左右,动如脱兔。

Translation: Wishing you great fortune in the Year of the Rabbit. The rabbit’s feet will lead your way to prosperity; rabbit’s ears will bring you great luck; rabbit’s shoulder and back will carry you to longevity; May this rabbit accompany you at your side bouncing forever with energy!