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Young Reporter's Story Ideas
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Trouble in China
by Renee Griffith
In recent weeks, China has been rocked by protests, health problems and a major earthquake. A 7.8-magnitude quake hit the Sichuan province in central China on May 12. The temblor occurred in the middle of the day, burying people in office buildings and schools. As of press time, there were almost 70,000 confirmed deaths.
This summer the country plays host to the Olympics, and with the Games less than 100 days away, China is facing public scrutiny. The Olympic Torch relay was met by demonstrations in some places, including the United States and France. Relay organizers kept the torch under guard and even kept the relay route secret at times.
Protesters believe that China has a very poor record when it comes to human rights. The Chinese government monitors religious groups, restricts freedom of speech and deals harshly with political dissenters. Many people are outraged at China’s treatment of Tibet. Buddhists in this region have faced religious persecution. The Dalai Lama, who is regarded as the country’s spiritual and political leader, fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed attempt to split from China. Chinese officials blame pro-Tibet forces for recent violence in the region. They say protesters are taking advantage of the Olympic spotlight to make China look bad and to further the goal of independence.
China is also dealing with a health scare. A common childhood hand-foot-mouth disease has infected 8,500 kids under the age of 6. The outbreak has mostly affected rural areas of China, but the fast spread of the disease has health officials concerned. In Anhul, an eastern province, the outbreak is so bad that schools have been closed.
China has a Communist government modeled on the former Soviet Union. Mao Zedong founded the People’s Republic of China in 1949. In 1958, Mao and China broke with the Soviet model and relations between the former allies became strained.
Facts About China!
Capital: Beijing
Population: 1,321,851,888
Religion: Officially atheist
Language: Mandarin
Currency: Yuan
Exports: coal, oil, rice, electronics, clothing
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