History of China

1. History of China Imperial to Socialist to . . . . ?

2. The Power of Imperial China • 14th century • Largest Empire in the World in 1300 • Agriculture; rice, later corn, sweet potatoes & peanuts • Mining; salt, silver, tin, iron = $, jobs & products • Industry: silk, cotton, porcelain, black powder

3. Marco Polo • Chinese culture was revered, respected by the west. • Establishes Silk Road giving Europeans access to prized Chinese goods • Silk • Cotton • Porcelain • Black powder

4. Isolationism • China becomes increasingly isolationist and elitist. • China turned its back on the world • Chinese culture becomes stagnant & conservative. • China fails to keep up with the west.

5. Industrial Era • China fails to industrialize. • Industrial Britain reigns supreme in the west • British build their empire all the way to India. • British replace Spanish & Portuguese as primary traders

6. Opium Wars • 1800’s: Brits run out of silver & replace it w/trading Opium (from India) • Rates of Opium addiction in China skyrocket; Opium use becomes a Chinese epidemic. • China bans Opium • Opium wars (1848) fought over British right to sell Opium in China. • British win; lead to British “extraterritorial rights”

7. China is a Paper Tiger • Chinese defeat in the Opium Wars exposes an outdated military • China is un-industrialized, fails to keep up with the west. • Others gain “spheres of influence” in Chinese ports: • US • Russia • Portugal • Germany

8. Boxer Rebellion • 1899 Open Door Policy creates resentment for Westerners. • “Society for Harmonious Fists” (Boxers) established to combat Western Influence • Stages anti foreign rebellions in Tianjin & Beijing; killed over 200 westerners. • Empress Cixi (SU-shi) voices support for rebellion but fails to act. • Combined western armies crush rebellion.

9. Government corruption leads to failed reform attempts • Empress Cixi resists change • One summer while she is away her nephew tries to make changes, he’s thrown out upon her return. • 1902: Empress Cixi promises to study western countries, create a fully constitutional gov. in 15 years (by 1917).

10. Revolution! • 1912 Sun Yixian’s Nationalist movement overthrows Monarchy • Sun turns control over to General Yuan Shikai • China enters WWI • 1916, General Shikai dies (civil war ensues) • 1919 Versailles treaty • 1925 Sun Yixian dies, succeeded by Chang Kai Shek

11. Nationalists vs. Communists • communists (who are aided by Lenin) are a significant portion of the Chinese nationalist movement. • At first, Chiang Kai Shek promises to give them a voice in the movement. • Shek (supported by Western capitalists) sees communists as a threat; tries to eliminate from Membership in the nationalist movement.

12. Civil war • Chiang Kai Shek’s nationalists vs. Mao Zedong’s communists (1918-1949)Nationalists are better organized and have better financial backing (West), score initial victories. • WWII puts fighting on hold. • Japanese “Rape of Nanking”

13. Communists turn the tide • Mao takes his communists on the “Long March” across China, engaging Chiang’s nationalists strategically in guerilla warfare • With further aid from Stalin, Mao’s communists defeat Chiang’s nationalists. • Chiang Kai Shek flees to Taiwan. • Emergence of Socialist rule: The People’s Republic of China

14. MaoRules • Collectivizes Agriculture • http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/video_archive/jwjones/world/china/ChinaLandReform.rm?cloakport=8554,554,7070 • ~5 million landlords & “undesirables” were killed in the collectivization process • ~40% of Chinese land changed hands during the early 1950’s. http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/china/u1/lesson1part3.asp

15. The People’s Republic? • Early economic successes & Soviet assistance lead to increases in quality of life (qol) • Production is back at pre-war levels. • Mao decides to open the government to public feedback. • 100 flowers campaign backfires. • Mao is scarred

16. Economic Changes Continue • Private businesses & entrepreneurial activities were gradually eliminated. • GREAT LEAP FORWARD (farming) • Mao orders all peasants organized in to communes • All food was for “the state” • Peasants were required to form cottage industries smelting iron. • GLF is a miserable failure; results in 40+ million of deaths and useless/wasted iron. http://web.uncg.edu/dcl/courses/video_archive/jwjones/world/china/ChinaWorkers.rm?cloakport=8554,554,7070

17. Foreign Relations • Stalin Snubs Mao • Soviets continue to give Chinese military & financial aid • Chinese criticize Soviet “softness” with the west in 1960’s, sever ties

18. Cultural revolution • Mao wanted to unify China in a communist culture • Elimination of anti-communists “rightists” in Chinese culture • Focused on youth: Red guards • Witch hunts targeted • Intellectuals • Journalists • Teachers • Artists • priests.

19. President Nixon Visits China (’72) • Nixon called it: “The week that changed the world” • 1st American TV images of China in decades • Nixon quoted from Mao "Seize the hour! Seize the day! . . . . for our two peoples to rise to the heights of greatness which can build a new and better world” • Sent a clear and dramatic message to everyone watching that a new relationship was being forged.

20. Mao’s Demise • Suffered a serious stroke in 1972 • Paranoia led to massive purges of party leadership, including future party chairman Deng Xiaoping • Died in 1976

21. Deng Xiaoping (’76-’81) • Likeable: • moderate; fought against radicals in communist party • Intelligent • Practical • Likeable • Tried to help rehabilitate victims of the Cultural Revolution

22. Deng spearheads reforms • Deng sought (with the support of party leadership) to put the 4 Modernizations at the top of China's agenda: • Agriculture • Industry • science and technology • defense

23. Deng spearheads reforms • Ended class labels & discrimination based on class • Promotion within the party based more on rank than loyalty (switch from Mao’s era) • Created a new state constitution that emphasized the rule of law under which even party leaders are theoretically held accountable

24. Reforms continue in the 80’s • Open Door Policy • Allowed foreign investment in China & foreign exchange • U.S. grants China “More favored nation” trade status • Rural Reform • Decollectivization • Allowing rural & urban markets • Creation of new farming businesses (privatizing?) • Industrial reforms • Relaxing of central government controls • Allow businesses to retain profits • Banking reforms

25. Tiananmen Square • April 22 - 100,000 students gather in the square to petition the government for change: democracy

26. Tiananmen square • June 3 – After weeks of failed negotiations with students, Chinese army uses tanks & armored vehicles to re-take Tiananmen square by force, killing over 1,000 students.

27. Backlash • International community (& U.S.) expressed concern over Chinese actions • China fails to acknowledge any mis-handling of the protests

28. Modern China • 1992: China announces a move to a “Socialist Market economy” (?) abandoning traditional communist goals. • Opened State controlled businesses (SOE’s) to open to the stock exchange (the state would always retain the majority) • Admitted to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and agreed to “open telecommunications & banking sectors to foreign competition & investment” (http://www.coba.unr.edu/faculty/parker/econ305/econ305f04lec5a.pdf) • China has the largest trade surplus with the US of any country in the world, but also has millions unemployed.

29. Modern China