The ancestors of human beings lived in China 8,000,000 years ago. Archaeologists found the remains of Ramapithecus man in Lufeng in Yunnan province. Yuanmou Man lived 1,000,000 years ago and Lantian Man, 600,000 to 700,000 years ago.

The famous Peking Man is a mere youngster. He s only 400,000 to 500,000 years old. About 20,000 to 30,000 years ago, Liuchiang Man lived in Guangxi, near Guilin. Hotao Man lived in Inner Mongolia, and Upper Cave Man back in Zhoukoudian. Other milestones are the Lungshan Culture and Yangshao Culture in Henan of 5,000 t0 7,000 years ago.

From about 1992 until 1997, the country was booming. China continued to buy airplanes and cars from the United States and its overheated economy triggered inflation and subsequent economic controls. The government announced a staff cutback of 25% and kept trying to get rid of highly subsidized state enterprises.

Recently China was chosen to be the site of the 2008 summer Olympics, and won the right to the play-offs of the World Cup Soccer, two big feathers in its cap. Many people speak freely with foreigners now. I suggest you use discretion in advocating democracy, human rights, and the western point of view, unless you want to be booted out of the country. With care, there are many questions for you to ask: What about social security? Free health care? What is being done about AIDS, and illegal drugs? Legal rights? What is the effect of satellite television? China's 20 million Internet users? How is the government regulating these sources of foreign information?

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