Unit 2: Listening Task #2
Taiwan and Mainland China: A Comparison
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How do Taiwan and mainland China really differ? That's a difficult subject.
Let's take a brief look at five ways these two countries differ. First, let's mention some geographical differences. One obvious difference is size. Mainland China is over 280 times larger than Taiwan in terms of land area. Only Canada and Russia have larger land areas than mainland China. Second, mainland China has many more people than Taiwan. Whereas Taiwan's population is around 23 million, Red China's is over 1.3 billion - about 56 times larger than Taiwan's. Mainland China is, in fact, the world's most populated country. Third, the economic systems of both countries differ. Taiwan has a capitalist economy and mainland China's economy is a blend of communism and capitalism. Due to its large size, mainland China's GNP is naturally larger than Taiwan's. However, the average Taiwanese earns about 4 times more than an average person in mainland China. In mainland China, 50% of all people still work on farms. In Taiwan, this figure is only 10%. Fourth, there are many cultural differences between both countries. For example, mainland China has more ethnic groups than Taiwan. Taiwan has no sizable Islamic population or population or Tibetans or Koreans. And since Taiwan was a Japanese colony for 50 years, the Japanese influence is stronger in Taiwan than in mainland China. Taiwanese like to eat sushi, which is not popular in mainland China. And whereas many Taiwanese have English nicknames, few people in mainland China have English nicknames. Some Chinese fear they will lose their Chineseness if they adopt English nicknames. Finally, the political differences between Taiwan and mainland China are striking. Mainland China is a one-party state and the communinst party controls almost everything. In Taiwan, there are several different political parties. Politically, many things are more tightly controlled in mainland China than Taiwan. The media and religion are just two examples. The Communist Party doesn't permit open Internet access or give many people the freedom to practise their own religion. In Taiwan, Internet access is more open and religious belief is considered a matter of personal choice. (However people who believe in some religions which fobid killing such as Mennonites, Quakers, or Jehovah Witnesses will be sent to jail in Taiwan if they refuse military service.) |
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