Global Challenges: every key term you need (+ practice quiz)

More AP Chinese Language guides

• Personal and Public Identities
• Beauty and Aesthetics
• Science and Technology
• Contemporary Life

环境保护 (huánjìng bǎohù)

Environmental protection, shortened to 环保; a major theme of Chinese policy and public discourse.

雾霾 (wùmái)

Smog; severe air pollution in northern cities prompted the 2013 'war on pollution.'

PM2.5

Fine particulate matter measured daily; people check the AQI (空气质量指数) before going out.

垃圾分类 (lājī fēnlèi)

Mandatory waste sorting launched in Shanghai in 2019: 湿垃圾, 干垃圾, 可回收物, 有害垃圾.

碳中和 (tàn zhōnghé)

Carbon neutrality; China pledged to peak emissions by 2030 and reach neutrality by 2060 (双碳目标).

气候变化 (qìhòu biànhuà)

Climate change; China is the largest emitter but also the largest producer of solar and wind power.

新能源汽车 (xīnnéngyuán qìchē)

New-energy vehicles with green license plates, subsidized to cut emissions.

限塑令 (xiànsùlìng)

Plastic restrictions banning free plastic bags and single-use straws.

沙尘暴 (shāchénbào)

Sandstorms from desertification; the 三北防护林 'Great Green Wall' plants trees to hold back deserts.

退耕还林 (tuìgēng huánlín)

Returning farmland to forest, a reforestation program since 1999.

水资源 (shuǐ zīyuán)

Water resources; the 南水北调 project diverts water from the Yangtze to the dry north.

熊猫保护 (xióngmāo bǎohù)

Giant panda conservation; status improved from endangered to vulnerable in 2016.

人口老龄化 (rénkǒu lǎolínghuà)

Population aging; over 20% of Chinese are 60+, straining pensions and health care.

人口负增长 (rénkǒu fù zēngzhǎng)

Negative population growth, first recorded in 2022.

城乡差距 (chéngxiāng chājù)

Urban–rural gap in income, schools, and health care.

脱贫攻坚 (tuōpín gōngjiān)

The poverty-alleviation campaign; China declared extreme poverty eliminated in 2020.

教育公平 (jiàoyù gōngpíng)

Educational equity; rural and migrant children face fewer resources and 户口 barriers.

食品安全 (shípǐn ānquán)

Food safety; scandals like 2008 melamine milk drove stricter regulation.

公共卫生 (gōnggòng wèishēng)

Public health; SARS (2003) and COVID-19 (2020) shaped mask culture and health codes.

新冠疫情 (xīnguān yìqíng)

The COVID-19 pandemic; lockdowns, 核酸检测, and 健康码 defined 2020–2022.

一带一路 (Yīdài Yīlù)

Belt and Road Initiative (2013): infrastructure investment linking Asia, Africa, and Europe.

全球化 (quánqiúhuà)

Globalization; China's role as the 'world's factory' and largest trading nation.

贸易战 (màoyìzhàn)

US–China trade war beginning 2018 with tariffs and tech restrictions.

孔子学院 (Kǒngzǐ Xuéyuàn)

Confucius Institutes promoting Chinese language abroad; a form of soft power.

文化交流 (wénhuà jiāoliú)

Cultural exchange through study abroad, tourism, and events like the 2008 and 2022 Olympics.

留学生 (liúxuéshēng)

International students; China sends the most students abroad and hosts many in return.

网络暴力 (wǎngluò bàolì)

Cyberbullying, a rising concern on Weibo and Douyin.

人工智能伦理 (AI 伦理)

AI ethics: deepfakes, algorithms, and job displacement debated globally.

能源安全 (néngyuán ānquán)

Energy security; reliance on imported oil vs. push for renewables and nuclear.

生物多样性 (shēngwù duōyàngxìng)

Biodiversity; China hosted COP15 in 昆明 (2021).

志愿服务 (zhìyuàn fúwù)

Volunteering in disaster relief (e.g., 2008 汶川地震) and community programs.

自然灾害 (zìrán zāihài)

Natural disasters: earthquakes, floods (长江洪水), typhoons.

可持续发展 (kě chíxù fāzhǎn)

Sustainable development; slogan 绿水青山就是金山银山 (clear waters and green mountains are gold and silver).

节约 (jiéyuē)

Thrift; 光盘行动 ('Clean Plate Campaign') urges people not to waste food.

人类命运共同体

'Community with a shared future for mankind,' China's slogan for global cooperation.