2023 Bartley S4E5N SS Prelim QP

[Turn Over Registration Number Name BARTLEY SECONDARY SCHOOL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS HUMANITIES 2272/01 2273/01 Sec 4 Express / Sec 5 Normal Academic Paper 1 Social Studies 22 Aug 2023 1 hour 45 minutes Candidates answer on Answer Booklet. READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your class, register number and name on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the paper. Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid. Section A Answer all questions. Section B Answer both questions. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. For Examiner’s Use Section A Section B Total Set by : TAN CK This document consists of 7 printed pages

[Turn Over 2 Section A: Source – Based Case Study (35m) Answer all questions. Living in a Diverse Society Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions, you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 Study Source A. Why did President Xi make this speech? Explain your answer. [6] 2 Study Sources B and C. Would the columnist (in Source C) agree with the published report (in Source B)? Explain your answer. [6] 3 Study Source D . How useful is Source D in helping you understand people ’s attitudes towards China’s ethnic policy? Explain your answer. [6] 4 Study Sources E and F . Having read Source E, are you surprised by Source F? Explain your answer. [7] 5 ‘It is necessary for China to adopt assimilation for its ethnic policy.’ Using the sources in this case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [10]

[Turn Over 3 What are the motivations behind China’s ethnic policy? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. The People ’s Republic of China is the world ’s most populous nation. China has 56 officially recognised ethnic groups with the largest being the Han Chinese. Comprising an estimated 92% of China’s population, they reside in all parts of China. As for the different ethnic groups, they are mainly located in different regions (see map below). These regions whic h are autonomous due to them having a higher percentage of minorities include Inner Mongolia (mainly Mongolians), Tibet (mainly Tibetans) and Xinjiang (mainly Uyghurs) whereby the local gov ernment enjoy more legislative rights to formulate their own regulations. Given its diverse ethnic composition, it has been a challenge for the Chinese government to foster social cohesion with a common identity. Even though it recognises that all ethnic groups are equal and has attempted to integrate the groups since China declared its independence in 1949, the government’s ethnic policy has instead become increasingly assimilative. Supporters of the policy emphasises how social stability can be achieved as they fear extremist ideology taking root, like how a terrorist attacked happened in Xinjiang in 2014. Others criticise it for compromising local culture. For example, ethnic Mongolians in Inner Mongolia had staged protests in 2020 when they learnt that the government will be removing tradition al language in schools in September 2021.

[Turn Over 4 Source A: Speech by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Central Conference on Ethnic A ffairs, August 2021. The conference was attended by leading government officials. Fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation is a critical element of safeguarding the fundamental interests of all ethnic groups. Only when all ethnic groups jointly safeguard national security and social stability can extremist and separatist thoughts be resisted and the aspi rations of the people of all ethnic groups for a better life be fulfilled . All ethnic groups should be guided to always place the interests of the Chinese nation above anything else but effor ts should be made to see that the interests of all ethnic groups are realised in the process. Neither H an chauvinism* nor local ethnic chauvinism is conducive to the development of a community for the Chinese nation. We need to improve on modernising our governance and the capacity of our officials on ethnic affairs so that we can resolutely prevent the grave risks and hidden dangers in this field. * chauvinism: usually prejudiced support for one’s cause or one’s group Source B: Excerpt from a report by TIME magazine, published online in July 2021. TIME is a global media brand with an audience of more than 100 million people worldwide. Article 4 of the constitution of the People’s Republic of China theoretically guarantees equality for all its 56 ethnic groups. In reality “ideological education” has been ramped up across China over the past couple of years. It began early in 2019 with a directive on patr iotic education, instructing local government to start with the babies, to teach “love for the motherland and pride of being Chinese ”. In Tibet, toddlers are required to march alongside soldiers in Chinese military un iform. Equally key is the universalisation of Mandarin Chinese, under the guise of ‘bilingual education’ that will make graduates more competitive. Tens of thousands of Tibetan children have also been sent away to residential schools where they are paired with Han teachers. On rare occasions, the y can see their families, typically two weeks each year. Many struggle to communicate in their native tongue. Source C: A commentary by a Chinese columnist, published online in the Global Times, March 2023. The Global Times is the official English newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. There are more boarding schools in Tibet because of its vast land and scatt ered population with students living in school on the weekdays. The preferential policies enjoyed by China ’s ethnic minorities in terms of education are however completely ignored b y Westerners. Chinese people from the mainland love to visit Tibet because of the local Tibetan cultur al atmosphere. Chinese society as a whole wants to preserve the unique culture of each ethnic group everywhere and there is no will to assimilate the Tibetan people. What is the point of mak ing Tibet look like the mainland? The local people also want to integrate the modernisation of their lives with the preservation of their tradition. Thus, regarding Tibetan children learning Mandarin, is that str ange? The realistic

[Turn Over 5 motivation for Tibetan children to learn Mandarin is great because it is the common language in China and the largest language carrier for the functioning of Chinese soci ety. Learning Mandarin does not mean giving up learning Tibetan. Source D: A cartoonist’s opinion about China ’s ethnic policy. The cartoon was published on 1 st October 2020 by Radio Free Asia, a private media organisation funded by the US government. 1 st October is the date that the People ’s Republic of China was established.