Gaokao Exam International Perspective 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (一带一路, BRI), launched in 2013, primarily aims to:
- Develop infrastructure and trade connectivity across Asia, Europe, and Africa through investment and cooperation (Correct answer)
- Create a military alliance of participating nations
- Establish Chinese colonial territories abroad
- Promote English as a global trade language
Correct answer: Develop infrastructure and trade connectivity across Asia, Europe, and Africa through investment and cooperation
The BRI involves Chinese investment in infrastructure (ports, railways, roads, energy) across over 140 countries, aimed at enhancing trade connectivity and economic development along historic Silk Road routes.
The Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路) consists of the 'Silk Road Economic Belt' (overland routes through Central Asia and Europe) and the '21st Century Maritime Silk Road' (sea routes through Southeast Asia, South Asia, East Africa, and Europe). The initiative involves Chinese government loans and investment in infrastructure projects (ports, railways, highways, power plants) in over 140 countries. Proponents see it as development assistance; critics raise concerns about debt sustainability and geopolitical influence. It is a major topic in Chinese high school politics and geography courses.
Question 2: The United Nations Security Council has five permanent members (P5) with veto power. Which of the following is the correct list of P5 members?
- USA, Russia, China, UK, France (Correct answer)
- USA, Russia, China, Germany, Japan
- USA, China, UK, India, France
- USA, Russia, UK, Germany, Brazil
Correct answer: USA, Russia, China, UK, France
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council are the United States, Russia (successor to Soviet Union), China (represented by the PRC since 1971), the United Kingdom, and France — all major WWII Allied powers.
The five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council — USA, Russia (USSR successor), China (PRC since 1971, replacing ROC/Taiwan), United Kingdom, and France — were the principal Allied powers that won World War II. Each has the right to veto any substantive Security Council resolution, giving them enormous influence in international affairs. The P5 structure reflects the post-WWII global order and is a key topic in Chinese high school politics (关于联合国) and world history courses.
Question 3: China's foreign policy principle of 'non-interference in internal affairs' (不干涉内政) means:
- China respects other nations' sovereignty and does not interfere in their domestic political affairs (Correct answer)
- China ignores human rights abuses in other countries
- China refuses all diplomatic engagement
- China only trades with countries that share its political system
Correct answer: China respects other nations' sovereignty and does not interfere in their domestic political affairs
Non-interference (不干涉内政) is one of China's Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (和平共处五项原则, 1954) — it means respecting national sovereignty and not intervening in other states' domestic governance.
China's Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence (和平共处五项原则), first proposed by Zhou Enlai in 1954, include: mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity (互相尊重主权和领土完整), mutual non-aggression (互不侵犯), non-interference in each other's internal affairs (互不干涉内政), equality and mutual benefit (平等互利), and peaceful coexistence (和平共处). Non-interference means China does not pressure other governments on their domestic political systems or policies. This principle guides China's foreign policy approach and is frequently tested in Gaokao politics.
Question 4: The World Trade Organization (WTO), which China joined in 2001, primarily functions to:
- Regulate international trade through negotiating rules and resolving trade disputes between member nations (Correct answer)
- Provide development aid to poor countries
- Manage the global monetary system
- Coordinate military security arrangements
Correct answer: Regulate international trade through negotiating rules and resolving trade disputes between member nations
The WTO (世界贸易组织) sets and enforces the rules governing international trade, helps member nations negotiate trade agreements, and provides a mechanism for resolving trade disputes.
The World Trade Organization (WTO, 世界贸易组织) was established in 1995, succeeding GATT. It: negotiates multilateral trade agreements reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, monitors compliance with trade rules, and adjudicates trade disputes between member nations through its Dispute Settlement Body. China's accession in December 2001 was a landmark, integrating China fully into the global trading system. China's WTO membership is discussed in Gaokao politics and geography in the context of globalization (经济全球化) and China's opening up.
Question 5: According to China's high school politics curriculum, the current international order is best characterized as:
- A multipolar world in transition, with the US as the sole superpower but other powers (China, EU, Russia, India) rising (Correct answer)
- A stable unipolar world dominated by the United States
- A bipolar world similar to the Cold War
- Complete equality among all nation-states
Correct answer: A multipolar world in transition, with the US as the sole superpower but other powers (China, EU, Russia, India) rising
China's official characterization of the post-Cold War international order is '一超多强' (one superpower, multiple major powers) moving toward multipolarity (多极化), with a trend toward relative US decline and rising powers.
Chinese high school politics (必修·政治) characterizes the current international order as '一超多强' (one superpower — the USA, multiple major powers — China, EU, Russia, Japan, India). The long-term trend is toward multipolarity (世界多极化), meaning increasing diffusion of global power away from US dominance. China views this trend positively as creating space for developing nations' interests. The multipolar trend is a key concept in Chinese foreign policy thinking and the Gaokao politics section on international relations.
Question 6: China's official stance on the Taiwan issue (台湾问题) as taught in Chinese high school politics is:
- Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and peaceful reunification under 'one country, two systems' is the preferred approach (Correct answer)
- Taiwan is already a fully independent sovereign state
- The Taiwan issue should be decided by the international community
- Military force is the only acceptable solution
Correct answer: Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory, and peaceful reunification under 'one country, two systems' is the preferred approach
China's official position: Taiwan is a part of China, the two sides are not yet fully reunified after the civil war, and peaceful reunification under 'one country, two systems' is the preferred goal, though force is not ruled out.
China's official position on Taiwan (台湾问题) is that Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory (the 1992 Consensus acknowledges one China, with different interpretations). The PRC's preferred approach is peaceful reunification under '一国两制' (one country, two systems) — the same formula applied to Hong Kong and Macau — which would allow Taiwan to maintain its current political and economic system. The Anti-Secession Law (2005) states that non-peaceful means may be used if Taiwan moves toward formal independence. This is a sensitive but examinable topic in Chinese high school politics.
Gaokao Exam International Perspective 2
China's 'Belt and Road Initiative' (一带一路, BRI), launched in 2013, primarily aims to: