Environmental problems

Respiratory and heart diseases related to air pollution are the leading cause of death in China.

Decades of waste poured from factories and cities into China's rivers have turned many of them into open sewers.

75% of energy production is still dependent on coal.

The growth of China

China is also the largest exporter and second largest importer of goods in the world.

China is the largest manufacturing economy in the world. China’s economy has grown 10% in the past 10 years. The share of employment in the primary sector has already

fallen from 70% in 1978 to around 35% in 2011. The share of the secondary sector is now about half of GDP,

much higher than in most other countries.

Benefits and negative impacts of the growth of China

Benefits NegativesChina’s economic growth has benefited the south and eastern regions more than anywhere else.

Pollution is a major problem in many industrialised cities. Increased car ownership has led to problems of smog and worsening air quality.

China’s middle-class population had reached more than 300 million by 2012.

The growing demand of the Chinese economy has placed great demands on China’s creaking power infrastructure. This has led to the creation of projects like the Three Gorges Dam.

China has the world's second highest number of billionaires.

Many farmers struggle to make a living. Therefore, this has encouraged a migration of workers from north to south.

China's domestic retail market was worth over 20 trillion yuan (US$3.2 trillion) in 2012.

In Beijing and the south East, house prices have increased significantly.

Chinese banking sector has a bad reputation for making bad loans. Many loans are not repaid back.