...in Japan as a 'restoration', but to those of the years following 1911 in China as 'revolutions'? Introduction The Meiji Restoration of 1868 in Japan and the Chinese Revolution of 1911 were responsible for producing an enormous amount of upheaval in both countries. Both nations were immersed in social, political and economic backwardness. In this context, both political episodes should be construed as an attempt to reverse decline and set the course for modernization. The main thesis of this essay is based on the notion that whilst there are some similarities between both political events, the main difference resides in the fact that the Meiji Restoration began the centralization of the mechanisms of governance and induced the social and economic modernization of the country. At the same time, the Chinese Revolution of 1911 did not succeed in engendering a sound system of government capable of reversing the country’s decline. The first part of the essay will deal with the main characteristics of the Meiji restoration of 1868. The second section of the essay will outline the main features pertaining to the Chinese Revolution of 1911. The third part of the essay will examine the similarities and differences between these two events, with the ultimate purpose of determining the qualitative differentiation to be made between the concepts of “restoration” and “revolutions”. The main characteristics of the Meiji restoration of 1868 The Meiji Restoration of 1868 can be interpreted...
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...materials) account for 72% of the current export to China. 22% of the remaining 28% are capital goods like manufacturing equipment. 【Breakdown of export amount from Japan to China in 2009, US$Billion】 Breaakdown Amount share Intermediate goods (raw materials) 88.1 72% Finished goods Capital goods 27.7 22% Consumer goods 6.47 6% Sum 122.2 100% Source: Ministry of Finance Japan I think there are two factors which affect the relation of trade between Japan and China: One is increase in China’s labor cost and the other is the appreciation of Renminbi against US dollar and Japanese Yen. 1. Cost competiveness Japan has prioritized on China when it does production transfer to overseas countries, because China has cultural proximity, language similarity (both countries use Chinese characters) and closeness of geographical distance with Japan. Above all, the most important advantage China has is its low cost. However, in the past three years, China’s minimum wage increased and this trend will continue. It is said that China is losing its competitive advantage. 2. The appreciation of Renminbi against US dollar and Japanese Yen United states and other countries claim the Chinese government to revalue Renminbi. The appreciation of Renminbi against US dollars and...
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...example being the illegality of the practice of polygamy in Singapore’s constitution, a practice allowed in Islamic Law[1] Singapore's society is primarily made up of four different races: Chinese (74% of the population), Malays (13% of the population), Indians (9.2% of the population), and Eurasian (3.8% of the population)[2], and as acknowledged by Githu Muigai, UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance during his visit to Singapore from 21st to 28th April 2010[3], has always been thought to be in a unique social state of racial harmony, Ever since the 1964 Sino-Malay riots and the 1969 racial riots, Singapore has not seen any significant violence between the various ethnic groups. However, while it might look as though Singaporeans live in harmony, inherent differences exist and a certain degree of racial discrimination remains prevalent. Despite the efforts by the Singaporean government, the sub-dominant groups such as the Malays are still being marginalized by the Chinese in the society. In this paper, I will focus on the various interactions between the Chinese and the Malays, specifically, the political representations of these races, the prevalence of social discrimination and how language ultimately acts as a barrier between racial...
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...Wesley Kivett World Religions December 11, 2011, Darin Metz Seeking the Highest Good Breaking down the religions of this world has been a task of mankind for centuries. Theologians and Philosophers have studied the very core of many world religions trying to find the similarities between the religions. Debates and many of hours have been put into this research trying to find out who is right and who is wrong. When we look at three of the leading religions of the world, Taoism, Confucianism, and Christianity there are similarities and differences between them, but the meaning in which they are taught are very different. Since the beginning of time mankind has always been seeking for a greater understanding of life and what our purpose is here on earth. Many have written books on how to find the meaning of life and how to focus on your purpose, or could we say, seeking a higher good. As we look at these three religions it is difficult to even begin to see how three religions that are so far apart can find common ground. Taking each one of them individually and trying to pinpoint their relationships can be very challenging. Lao-Tsu (570-490 B.C.) wrote the following on the highest good in his Tao Te Ching: "The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle...
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...Indian and Chinese Youth Economies Johnny R. Huffstutler BUS330 April 7, 2014 China and India are two of the largest countries in the world, both having a very large youth market. India for a number of reasons could be seen as being approximately fifteen to twenty years behind China in terms of age when it comes to averages of their work force (Devonshire-Ellis, 2013). There are trends in both Chines and Indian markets that emulate some US economic trends, but one of the common characteristics seen in India and China in today’s youth markets is a sense of individuality that is comparable to that seen in many members of Generation Y here in the United States. Some of the products that seem to strike a chord with youth markets in India and China, much like the US are automobiles, personal electronics (phones and tablets) and in many instances, designer clothing. From a marketing perspective, there are some similarities between the youth markets in China and India which resemble the youth markets in the US, such as online shopping and anything to speed up the shopping process. Cookie cutter approaches that are seen here in the US are not likely to be successful in Indian and Chinese markets. (Brown, 2011) Some of the factors that come into play that differ between China and India from the Macro perspective, are apparent due to the differences in types of government. India is often considered the world’s largest democracy, while China is still under communist...
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...the readers and listeners only through non-verbal signals. A. Right now as I tell you all this there is thousands of people living amongst a wide variety of rules and customs that are very different from what we would ever imagine. B. This is more than just different cultures and practices, this is the way many humans live and needs to be learned and treated with respect to show we care for the other cultures beliefs and customs. II .Thesis Statement: I want to show the audience the major differences there is from country to country and how we can learn more about these differences pertaining to non–verbal communication and discuss how we can gain more knowledge of this matter. III. Connect: Although many of us do not realize it this subject is very detrimental to us as Americans living in a free country. We will always be faces with intercultural differences and need to know how to be respectful and make people feel comfortable in our country. After all isn’t this why we are free? IV. Preview: Today I will discuss will all of you the many different practices and beliefs from country to country and why it is important that we know these and are...
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...Leonte Degraffenreid October 15, 2013 Engl 111 Professor Drake Tank Man On June 5, 1989 an unknown man from Beijing stood in front of a column of military tanks. This was the day the Chinese military had suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 by force. This photograph was taken by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press. This picture is considered one of the iconic images of the 20th century. But there has been a repurposed image of the tank man that has yellow ducks instead of military tanks. The rubber duck has become very popular in Hong Kong Harbor. The author of this photo is unknown. It was published on June 5, 2013 on the Chinese micro blogging website Weibo, and has received so much attention that Chinese authorities have banned the term “big yellow duck”. What has not been told is that the government in china still does everything to keep the event in mystery, pretending it never happened. Looking at both of these pictures there has been a meaning change to the photo “Tank Man” because there was a switch of military tanks and rubber ducks. In both photo there is similarities and differences. In the Jeff Wiedener Photo “Tank Man”, there is a man who was protesting at Tiananmen Square while the military where going down the street. This unknown man, some saying his name is Wang Weilin, walked in the middle of the street and stopped in front of a line of military tanks. In a result of that these tanks had stop and tried to move around him and he wasn’t...
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... Introduction History of relationships between Iran & China can be viewed and written from two perspectives, a Chinese perspective or an Iranian one. Goal of this short paper is to catch a few points based on both perspectives. First of all it’ll brief on the first signs of relationships between two nations in the bed of history. And then a little treat on current similarities and what is happening in the current days. Back in the history Name of China in Persian language written as چین read exactly as Qin in pinyin writing of Chinese mandarin language implies the starting point of mutual acquaintance going back till the time of Qin dynasty in China which coincides with the rule Arsacid dynasty (Parthian Empire) in Iran. However the oldest document currently available about these relationships points out to the time of Chinese Han Dynasty and Iranian Parthian Empire(247 BC - 224 AD). These relations continued further up to next Iranian dynasty of Sassanids and after invasion of Arabs to Iran and continued in different forms of commercial, religious, cultural & scientific transactions. Mutual relations before Islam An outstanding document from Chinese part is Zhang Qian words in Shiji 史记 one of the most reliable records on Chinese history written by grand Chinese historian Sima Qian 司马迁. The Chinese explorer Zhang Qian, who visited the neighbouring countries of Bactria and Sogdiana in 126 BCE, made the first known Chinese report on Parthia. In his accounts Parthia is...
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...In the 1830s Chinese were "sugar masters" working in Hawaii. There were also Chinese sailors and peddlers in New York. Ancestors in the Americas: Asian America History Timeline, as retrieved from http://www.cetel.org/timeline.html A resource from one of the largest, up to date survey, which is the American Religious Identification surveys shows that not one religion can claim the majority for the Asian American Community. It shows a 27% of Asian Americans follow Eastern Religions such as Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Sikh. This report also shows that 17% of the Asian Community is Catholic. This percentage has declined from 27% in 1990. The Asian Nation website states, “Chinese Americans are the oldest and largest ethnic group of Asian ancestry in the United States. They have endured a long history of migration and settlement that dates back to the late 1840s…”, Lai, E., Arguelles, D. (2012) The New Face of Asian Pacific America: retrieved from http://www.asian-nation.org/chinese.shtml. Most Chinese immigrants arrived in the United States as contract labor. First in Hawaii for plantation followed by mining in the West Coast and after that working on transcontinental railroads west of the Rocky Mountains. There were many acts of discrimination towards Chinese immigrants. The discrimination against Chinese Americans culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act 1882. “…effectively halted Chinese immigration for ten years and prohibited Chinese from becoming US citizens.” Harvard...
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...certain mega retail giants to globalize their operations, and in turn has had a huge impact on the cultures of many nations and groups of people throughout the world. To ensure that there is a smooth transition into new markets these companies must educate themselves and their employees, about the cultural differences and similarities that each group will face. As stated by, Becton, B. (2009) “China will be an important player in the world economy, this has important implications for organizational research as more and more companies expand operations into China.” Amazon as a leader in internet sale and retail has embraced china as the most important new market in the world and has made many adjustments within the company to not only understand the cultural differences but to understand them. The understanding gained will help maximize the workforce and realize a better understanding of the Chinese peoples as a customer. The workforce in China is almost a polar opposite to the US workforce in that the Chinese culture causes them to think of themselves collectively, or to be more to the point they feel that they work for each other instead of themselves. The US workers on the other hand are individualistic; they do work toward the good of the company, but seek personal gain and at times glory at the expense of the group. Hofstede found that individualism versus collectivism accounted for the greatest difference in work-goal priorities in 40 countries. The United States has been...
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... Starbucks, McDonalds and Burger King, Yum! China has been able to successfully manage the pressure and increase their presence in China. 1. What were the special challenges in business environment that Yum! had to overcome it he 1990’s to develop its business in China? When Yum! started its operations in the early 1990’s the company has barriers to overcome in launching their operations in China. Yum! had to get through the government restrictions, handle their missteps in advertising, invest in a supply chain, expand company growth, organize a team, and contend with ownership. Government ‐ When Yum opened restaurants and wanted to expand faster, the company had to follow regulations imposed by the government. At that time, government was more interested in bringing in foreign companies that could bring technology into China. That changed when the Deng Xiaoping, a Chinese leader said “China was moving too slowly. We should open up the rest of the country”. As a result, the demand for foreign investment rose in every city and province and government allowed for foreign enterprises to enter and grow. Advertising – One of Yum’s first misstep in China was their advertising slogan. Their slogan “finger lickin’...
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...religion, race, politics and so on. “Religious oppression and intolerance in China”, “African in America” and “Ghost Dance at Wounded Knee” all talk about intolerance problems. Firstly, I will talk about the “Religious oppression and intolerance in china”. In the last 10 years, the Chinese government relentlessly suppressed non-registered religious groups. Falun Gong is a good example of the suppressed. In order to suppress the Falun Gong and other non-registered religious movements, the Chinese government used the anti-cult movement to limit and suppress them. The Chinese government said: “Falun Gong is a cult, cults do not obey the law, they upset the social order, and they often use the deceit of creating a religious freedom and a stable society to deceive more people to join their religion. They participate in political activities, some of them even tax evasion, drug trafficking, fraud, assassinating, staking and so on.” The Chinese government not only defames the Falun Gong, but also the government detains the Falun Gong practitioners and misuses them. According to news from the internet, at least 30 Falun Gong practitioners have died of government mistreatment since 1999. The Government detained at least 35,000 Falun Gong followers. 5,000 of them were...
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...A Case Study of the Acquisition of Swedish Volvo by Chinese Geely Author: Lieke Wang Supervisor: Thomas Danborg Master's Thesis in Business Administration, MBA programme February 2011 Abstract The acquisition of the famous Swedish Volvo by the unknown Chinese Geely has attracted a lot of attention in the world-wide medias, particularly in Sweden and China. It is the largest overseas acquisition ever by a Chinese company, which marks a beginning of a new era that the fastest growing China has become a superpower in the world economy. Because this acquisition is such a complex business where two involved companies are so much different, it is of high interest to make a case study of this in the business research area. The thesis begins the study by looking at the basic facts of these two companies: the products, market, finance situation, brand and technology, etc. It was found that these two companies have very little in similarity, but a huge difference in product segment, technology and brand, inter-culture, language, etc. Therefore, there is no immediate cost saving through the integration of two companies and the sharing of the common components, which indicates that the risk of failure of this acquisition is relatively big. However, there do exist some opportunities lying ahead. The most obvious opportunity is the possible rapid expansion in the growing Chinese market as Volvo’s second home market. To be successful in China, Volvo must address several issues: quickly...
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...Men try to gain unity through many ways and history has shown us that most of the attempt to unite the people has failed. Men will unite when they have similarities and most great leaders of the past have tried to use the factor of race to unite the people. Genghis Khan has tried to unite the Mongol and Hitler has tried to unite the German. These great leaders try to achieve unity using race as the factor of unity. They unite their race by inculcating in their heart the same desire. They inculcate the desire to become great people by conquering other people and to amass their wealth. Without having unity of purpose people cannot be united unless they have the same desire or goal .Genghis Khan and Hitler inculcate in the heart of their people the same desire to become the Great people that conquer and control others. In order to unite the people, the leaders try to make the people to have the same goal or desire .The easiest desire to inculcate is the desire to have power and wealth. However this desire is short lived and once this desire vanishes the strength of unity fades away. Genghis Khan and Hitler can only unite their people and become conqueror for a very short period of time. The empire that they have set up does not last very long. Once people have achieved their goal of achieving wealth and power they become disunited. They start to become jealous between each other and internal rivalry start to occur between them. As a result they lose their unity and their strength and...
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...obstacle’s encountered on a daily basis may very well be the fine line that separates success from failure. In this piece we’ll look at the similarities and differences the US and China have gauged by Professor Geert Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions. As we examine the US and China, most would see these two countries as polar opposites of each other, but a closer look would r4veal some shocking cultural similarities. In two of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions the US and China almost mirrors one another. Masculinity and Uncertainty Avoidance are the cultural dimensions where the two countries see eye to eye. Both the US and China scored in the 60’s in masculinity (The Hofstede Centre). This is a key indicator of the competitive nature of both countries. The drive to be the best and the pursuit of excellence is alive and well in both countries. Whether it is an individualized approach or collective approach, the numbers are what they are and the US and China is similar in this cultural dimension. The cultural dimensions where the US and China differ the two countries are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Research shows that the US and China are at the opposite ends concerning individualism (Hofstede 1984; Spectoretal 2001). In the US there tends to be a lot of emphasis put on individual achievement, whereas in China it’s the total opposite. The US is an individualist culture, stressing individual achievement, while China is a collectivist culture, stressing...
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