Laws
The main difference between the legal systems of America and China is that, whereas American laws reflect the Judeo-Christian cultural legacy, those of China are concerned with the values of Confucianism. This is the reason why, for example, unlike what it happened to be the case with judges in America, Chinese judges are not being simply expected to act as impartial arbiters, but also as the figures of high moral stature.
Moreover, they are also expected to ensure that the passed judicial decisions, on their part, serve the overall interests of China – something that is being perceived as the main indication of these decisions’ legitimacy. This, of course, creates the objective preconditions for the Chinese interpretation of the very concept of ‘law’ to be much different from the American one.
Whereas Americans refer to the concept in question, as simply the sum of the enacted legal rules and regulations, the Chinese think of it in terms of a philosophical category, which combines the notions of ‘harmony’ and ‘justice.’ Partially, this explains the continuing popularity of many Communist legal conventions with people in China.
Education
There are many differences between the Chinese and American systems of education, as well. Probably the main of them is being concerned with the fact that, unlike what it happened to be the case in the U.S., the academic standards in Chinese schools, colleges, and universities, continue to become ever stricter, which turn requires Chinese students to prioritize studying above everything else.
Another important difference, in this respect, is that the Chinese and American systems of education deploy the conceptually incompatible approaches to defining the measure of a particular student’s academic successfulness. Whereas to be able to graduate from high schools, Chinese students are commonly asked to reflect upon the practical usefulness of knowledge that they obtained, their American counterparts do not face such a requirement.
The reason for this is that in America, the process of examination in high schools takes place in the form of students being required to undergo score-based testing. This, of course, implies that, whereas Chinese students are being encouraged to relate to what they learn in schools and colleges cognitively, their American peers are merely expected to memorize the volumes of often-unrelated facts, as the learning process’s an integral part.
Medical & insurance
It appears that the foremost difference between the Chinese and American healthcare systems is that, whereas the former is being controlled by the state, the latter remains largely privatized. This is the reason why in America, a good half of the citizens are health-insured through employment. In this respect, the situation in China is much different, as it is specifically the country’s governmental institutions, which provide the overwhelming majority of Chinese citizens with the health-related insurance coverages.
Nevertheless, as opposed to what it happened to be the case with Americans, a substantial percentage of the Chinese qualify only for the basic types of health insurance – this especially applies to those who reside in the country’s rural areas.
Essentially the same can be said about the country’s senior-citizens, who are supposed to be taken care of by their closest relatives. In America, it is the other way around – as time goes on, more and more Americans decide to apply to be covered by specifically the old-age medical insurance, provided by the privately owned insurance companies.