China
has been a communist government for many years. It's constitution
established the 'National People's Congress' as the highest government
authority. The members of the National People's Congress are
elected
for five year terms, and they have different legestagitive duties
within the government.
The council is led by the premier,
China's head
of government. He is nominated by the Central Committee of the
Communist party and approved by China's "president" (who isn't at all
like an American president). This president is sort of like a
strictly
cerimonial official- like a king or queen of England, without the
trademark royalty bloodlines or palaces.
Years ago, the government of China decided
that if the money of the nation was split among it equally, everyone
could live comfortably. But, unfortunately, it did not turn out
so. When everyone recieved the same wage, no matter what job, no
one was rich, but nearly everyone was considerably poorer. The
government dangerously underestimated how many more poor people there
were than rich people. This choice was one that will continue to
change China for many years to come.
"This picture was one we took on the city streets of
Guangzhou," says Meaghan, part of the DATW team, who traveled to China
for two weeks to adopt her baby sister, "police officers were riding
bikes all around the city."
People: Their
way of life
"This picture we took at an
elementary school in Guangzhou. Nearly everyone we saw
in
the city wanted to pose for an "American" photo. The thumbs ups and
peace signs are all what these kids thought were all American."
THE PRICE
FOR OVERPOPULATION:
About one fifth of the world's
people currently live
in China. Because of the high population, the government is
concerned
about it's overpopulated status and try to find ways to lower it.
For example, men are not allowed to marry until they are 22 years
old. Women are not allowed until they are 20.
Most families are only allowed one child, and so if
they have a second or third, they are forced to abandon all but one,
unless there are born twins or triplets. Most Chinese couples
prefer boys because it is tradition that the man takes care of his
parents when they grow older. The woman takes care of her
in-laws.
For this reason, girls are usually abandoned from birth and the
parents try for a boy, or the girl is abandoned after a boy is born.
Usually when a child is born with birth defects the
parents abandon them also, whether they are a girl or a boy. And
if a woman were to get remarried, if her husband did not want children,
they would also be abandoned. For these reasons, Chinese adoption
is popular for other countries.
When children are abandoned, chances are they will
be found, by police, who usually, as you may imagine, keep a
watchful eye for unaccompanied babies or toddlers. Even children ten
years old could be abandoned.
Parents that are forced to abandon their children
may take great care and planning in where their children are abandoned,
so that they can safely be found. If they were born in a rural
area, they might be abandoned in a city. For example, Meaghan,
part of the DATW team, has a sister adopted from China, who was
almost 11 months old when she was adopted. Although it is not
clear exactly where she was abandoned, the orphanage that took in baby
"Nan Cai Dong" believes that she was born close to Vietnam, in a rural
part of southern China. This, keep in mind, is judging by her
physical appearance, and all the clues and sources available to Nan Cai
Dong's family. She was abandoned in Maoming, a large city far
from where the baby was said to be born.
Police found her in a
cardboard box on the side of the road near a popular car dealership.
After a long adoption process, "Angela" is now happy with her
adoptive family in America, like many other adopted Chinese children
before her.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(Footnote: If you are an adult interested in the process of Chinese
adoption, please feel free to explore these great websites-
www.adoptionvoyages.com
or www.allforchildren.org-
'Alliance for Children' will inform you on adopting and provide forms
for families or couples ready to adopt. 'Adoption Voyages' is a
site
especially made up of websites made by families adopting Chinese
children, so you can follow their journeys to adopting their child-
Meaghan's family had one for Angela)
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHINESE RURAL LIVING:
Chinese people living in rural areas usually own
farms far spread from
other houses. They must be very self sufficient, and are usually
poorer than those who live in cities or towns. Some can afford a
bicycle, radio, and sewing machine, and only the people with the
highest incomes can afford luxuries such as television sets, washing
machines, and motorized scooters. These are quite as valuable as
cars, because farmers and other Chinese people do not have to waste
their energy walking or traveling on a bicycle all day.
Their homes look different based on if they are old
or new. Most rural families live in three to four roomed
houses. Newer homes are made of clay bricks or stone and have a
tile
roof. Older houses may be made of mud bricks and have a tile or
straw roof.
One pro of living in a rural area, though, is that
most families can have more than one child. As you have probably
read in the 'price for population' entry, parents in cities can only
have one child. This also helps rural families because a bigger family
means more hands to help around the farm.
China 
