They say that the sun rises in the East - and sets in the West.
Well - not really, that’s just a plain scientific fact - but they say it anyway.
Now, you’d be hard pressed to find two countries that are so polar opposite than the United
States of America and the People’s Republic of China - both politically, geographically
and culturally.
So - come with me as we break down the 5 Major Differences Between America and China.
But before we get started - welcome to Most Amazing Top 5 - I’m your host Jack Finch
- make sure to hit that subscribe button and leave a comment in the box down below, and
let us know what you think of the latest videos.
Okay - starting off with point Number 5 - we have, Population.
China - is officially the most populous country in the /World/ - with a staggering population
of around 1.4 billion people.
It is incredibly difficult to fully grasp - /just/ how many people there /actually/
are in China.
It’s mindblowing.
China covers an insane area of 9.6 million square kilometers, and is the 3rd largest
country in the world.
A country that has over 160 cities that have a population over 1 million people - compared
to the USA - which has just 10.
This has led to some severe population density in many of China’s major cities.
People are everywhere - at all times of the day.
Traffic is insane, sidewalks are jam packed - and pollution is a significant health risk.
Now - no one’s saying that it’s not the same in the United States.
The U.S has a population of 325 million people - which is still an absolutely huge number.
But in China - it’s just sheer mathematics - a population in the billions, compared to
the millions, is quite a sight to behold.
Next up at Number 4, we have - History.
Now, although we have a rough idea of how things went down, prior to the arrival of
European settlers in North America, the recorded history of Native America doesn’t really
crop up until the 15th century.
Compared to China - who pretty much carved their entire history on jade vases and pots
- and get this - they have a recorded history that dates back all the way to 2070 - /B.C/.
That’s nearly 4000 years.
That’s like Middle Earth level history.
The Xia Dynasty - who hold a near mythical level of reverence in Chinese culture - are
said to have used irrigation, produce bronze weapons - and have a large, well equipped
army.
They had a calendar - and there are even records of them inventing a wheeled vehicle.
Let’s put this into perspective - at the same time as the Xia Dynasty, the construction
of Stonehenge had just been completed - and the last Wooly Mammoth had died.
That is a long - long, time.
Bringing us in at Number 3 - we have Saving Face.
Now, I’m sure you’ve all seen the iconic scenes of New York - traffic jams, horns blaring,
two cars that have collided and people screaming at each other in the street.
Well in China, cultural values make things a very different place.
Chinese culture has a huge emphasis on ‘Saving Face’ - and any kind of public confrontation
is pretty much just /never done/.
It’s very rare to see people arguing in the streets - and you’ll 100 percent - never
see a fist fight.
It even stems to lawful liability - it’s incredibly rare for people to sue each other
- or even go to court.
In China - both parties have to agree to be in court in order to file a lawsuit.
So things have to be /pretty/ tense before it gets to that.
Compared to the United States - where, well - people sue each other for sneezing the wrong
way.
Crazy.
There are even stories of motorcyclists in Beijing crashing into each other, getting
up off the ground - looking at each other, and then riding away.
Without a /single/ word being said.
They just don’t want the hassle of a public confrontation.
Next up at Number 2 - we have everyone’s favourite topic, The Internet!
Now - the internet in China is a bit of a different ball game when we compare it to
that of western society.
We experience relative freedom - and although we know the NSA is watching - we can still
listen to vaporwave and plaster Twitter with Donald Trump memes.
Although the internet is widely accessible in the majority of China’s major cities
- like Beijing - there are three major differences.
Connection speed - reliability - and censorship.
Now - with connection speed, that’s pretty self explanatory.
There’s 1.4 billion people in China - that’s a lot of people who want to check their email.
With China’s rapid expansion, internet connection is still fairly unreliable - with a dependable
infrastructure still being built.
The internet is generally just - slower - and disconnections are frequent.
Now the big point, is China’s internet censorship.
Any of the usual culprits - Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram - even Youtube - are all
unavailable.
You can’t even post a selfie on Insta in China.
This is down to China’s policy of media censorship - with the state claiming that
they prefer local, Chinese grown companies over foreign firms.
While most claim that it is down to manipulation of the media, and often compared to a ‘Great
Wall’ of internet censorship.
And finally - at our Number 1 Spot in the 5 Major Differences Between America and China,
is - everyone’s favourite - Politics!
Now - the United States of America is a federal republic in which a President, Congress and
Federal Courts - all share power to keep each other in check.
This is all written down in the American Constitution, a mandate drawn up by the founding Fathers,
who made sure that the New World would have a fair, and equal system that would differ
to the rest of the world.
Compared to China - which has - essentially, the opposite side of the coin.
The People’s Republic of China is - and we quote - “a socialist state under the
people’s democratic dictatorship, led by the working class and based on the alliance
of workers and peasants”
Built on a similar, but completely /different/, constitution - China is a one party state.
The ruling party essentially holds ultimate power and authority.
And, while things might be pretty scary back in the U.S.A - China’s current leader - the
one and only Xi Jinping - just extended his term as leader to -- oh, /forever/.
He passed a motion that removed the term limits set on a president - so, looks like he’s
not going anywhere for awhile.
Great.
That’s all we’ve got time for today guys - thanks for tuning in.
You’ve been watching Most Amazing Top 5 - I’ve been your host, Jack Finch.
And until next time, take it easy.