Introduction

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China and the United States have had a strained relationship since 1949. The Communist victors of the Chinese Civil War of the 1930s and early 1940s resented the United States for aiding their Nationalist opponents. American and Chinese troops even fought against each other in the Korean Conflict. Since the early 1970s, attempts have been made by both sides to heal this wounded relationship. Both nations have strong motivations for better relations. China wants access to America's technology and industrial skill for economic and military reasons. America wants access to China's cheap labor forces and vast consumer market. Many Americans are concerned about closer relations with the People's Republic; a nation with numerous human rights violations and a powerful nuclear arsenal. Should America risk facing the talons of the dragon in order to gain the affluence of the dollar?

You and your cooperative group are a team of special agents sent to Beijing to decide if it is in the best interest of the United States to have close relations with China. You are posing as tourists. Ask questions and investigate, but do not draw attention to yourselves.

Task

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As special agents you have several duties to complete in order to give a broad-based and intelligent report on the problem of whether to increase or decrease relations with the People's Republic of China. This is a complex problem that must be approached from several angles. Be sure to analyze the problem from four social science perspectives: Political, Economic, Geographical, and Sociological. Be sure to evenly divide up the work. Use the Resources to answer the following questions, decide on a detailed problem statement (example: Should the United States increase or decrease trade with China as the expense of some human rights...), and then write a four page report explaining your solution to the problem and the direction America should take in its relationship with China using concepts from Political Science, Economics, Geography, and Sociology.

What are the basic purposes of China's government and how does it operate?

How are resources limited in China and how do the Chinese display opportunity cost?

How do the Chinese people adapt and depend on their environment?

What are the basic institutions of Chinese society and how do they operate?

Who is the current leader of China?

What is the name of the Chinese currency?

What is the name of the most fertile region of China?

What is the most popular holiday in China?

Resources

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http://www.chinaonline.com

http://www.chinatoday.com

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ch.html

http://www.tibet.ca/wtnarchive/2000/4/29_6.html

http://www.citinv.it/associazioni/CNMS/archivio/lavoro/adidas_palcina.html

http://www.fas.org/news/taiwan/1996/s960206-taiwan.htm

http://www.oneworld.org/amnesty/journal_sept/harry_wu.html

http://www.china-guide.com/

http://www.visuallink.net/capps/china.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/99aug/9908china.htm

http://www.photius.com/wfb2000/countries/china/china_geography.html

http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/WorldGeography/China/China.htm

World History: Connections to Today.

China Cry Video.

Iron and Silk Video.

The Last Emperor Video.

Process

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You and your cooperative team must complete the task by following several steps.

• Evenly divide up the work load with your team.
• Clearly and completely answer the eight questions in the Task section.
• Use ideas and data from the Resources section.
• Develop and write out a 1 to 3 sentence problem statement that relates to increasing or decreasing relations between the United States and China.
• Write a four page report giving your solutions to the problem using concepts from Political Science, Economics, Geography, and Sociology.
• Closely follow the rubric in the Evaluation Section.
• Intelligently share your findings during a class discussion.

Evaluation

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Rubric for Report

Excellent (5)	Fair (3)	Minimal (1)
Has well written problem statement	Has short and simple problem statement.	Has weak and unclear problem statement.
Examines and uses information from most of the sources	Examines and uses information from some of the sources	Examines few of the sources
Clearly expresses political science concepts	Mildly expresses political science concepts	Expresses few or no political science concepts
Clearly expresses economic concepts	Mildly expresses economic concepts	Expresses few or no economic concepts
Clearly expresses geographic concepts	Mildly expresses geographic concepts	Expresses few or no geographic concepts
Clearly expresses sociological concepts	Mildly expresses sociological concepts	Expresses few or no sociological concepts
Well thought out solutions to the complex problem	Partially thought out solutions to the complex problem	Weak and unrelated solutions to the problem
Fewer than 4 spelling errors in the four pages	Between 5 and 8 spelling errors	More than 8 spelling errors
Fewer than 4 grammatical errors in the four pages	Between 5 and 8 grammatical errors	More than 8 grammatical errors
Fewer than 4 punctuation errors in the four pages	Between 5 and 8 punctuation errors	More than 8 punctuation errors

Conclusion

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You have come far in your understanding of the modern nation of China, and the tension that exists in Sino-American relations. The issues you grappled with are real and are currently being argued about by politicians, economists, military experts, and theologians. To form an opinion on whether America should increase trade with China a student must reflect on his or her own value system. What are your higher values? Your personal position will depend upon how you prioritize values like faith in God, money, power, family, security, freedom, education, and tolerance. Be prepared to share your findings and personal feelings with your instructor and classmates.