Introduction to China
Q: This country is the world’s third largest by area and has about 1.4 billion people.
A: China
Q: Since 1949, this political party has ruled China and controls the army, police, and media.
A: The Communist Party of China (CCP)
Q: Chinese leaders repeatedly state that there will be no “western-style” version of this kind of political system in China.
A: Democracy
Q: People who speak out against China’s political system and demand more political freedom are known by this term.
A: Dissidents
Q: Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Asia Watch claim that the rights of people in this country are frequently abused, despite some improvements.
A: China
Q: This city is China’s capital and the seat of its national government.
A: Beijing
Q: China is this type of state, meaning only one political party holds power.
A: A one-party state
Q: For more than 25 years, Chinese citizens have been allowed to vote for representatives at this local level of government.
A: Town and village elections
Q: China’s government does not tolerate opposition, using the army and police to suppress it for over 70 years. As a result, the country received this low Global Freedom Score in 2023.
A: 9 out of 100
Q: In China, people accused of crimes may be held for long periods without trial and often denied a lawyer or family visits. What are these people sometimes beaten to obtain?
A: A confession
Q: In 2022, China generated nearly one-third of the world’s supply of this type of clean, sustainable energy.
A: Renewable energy
Q: This concept, introduced under Mao Zedong, meant that the government controlled land, factories, and businesses on behalf of the people.
A: Communism
Q: Although independent candidates are legally allowed to run in local elections, they are often blocked through threats, intimidation, or arrests by this ruling party.
A: The Communist Party of China (CCP)
Q: This term refers to the CCP’s strict system of monitoring and blocking websites, social media, and information from outside the country.
A: The Great Firewall of China
Q: China has 55 crimes punishable by this ultimate form of punishment, and is believed to use it more than the rest of the world combined.
A: The death penalty
Q: The percentage of people living in cities in China rose from 19.4% in the 1980s to 65.2% in 2022. What is this major demographic shift called?
A: Urbanisation
Q: This national body in China passes laws but does not actually make decisions, since the CCP decides everything first.
A: The National People's Congress (NPC)
Q: This form of “democracy” in China uses focus groups and opinion polls so the government can learn what people think without allowing free elections.
A: Deliberative democracy
Q: This Hong Kong newspaper founder was arrested in 2021 and given a 14-month prison sentence after supporting the pro-democracy movement and criticizing the CCP.
A: Jimmy Lai
Q: Investigations revealed that the so-called “re-education camps” in Xinjiang were actually high-security facilities targeting mostly this ethnic and religious minority group.
A: The Uyghurs
Q: Today, most of China’s workforce is in industry and services rather than agriculture. What long-term economic change does this reflect?
A: Industrialisation and economic transformation
Q: This governing body, led by Xi Jinping, is the most powerful group within the CCP and effectively controls China’s decision-making.
A: The Politburo
Q: These public actions—often about corruption, pollution, or government policy—have increased in China, including major demonstrations against zero-Covid rules in 2022.
A: Public protests (mass incidents)
Q: Foreign journalists reporting in China often face harassment, surveillance, and visa delays—especially while covering events such as the 2022 Zero-Covid situation. This shows the CCP’s tight control over this group.
A: Regulation of foreign journalists
Q: This region, occupied by China since 1950, has seen widespread protests, arrests, and cultural destruction, including the demolition of buildings at Larung Gar in 2016.
A: Tibet