Hey everyone, Brian here, and today our journey takes us to a nation with more than four times
the population of the U.S. It's also a nation with the second-largest economy in the world.
Of course, you probably already know we're talking about China.
But, to truly understand modern China, you have to understand its history. A
past that is fascinating, proud, prolific, and complicated. Remember to have the pdf for this
lesson printed out before we get started so you can respond to a few questions. So let's go!
Modern China is among the world's leaders in industrial production,
technology, and economic stability. So many positive indicators,
but that hasn't always been the case. Our goals today are to briefly summarize China's history,
to understand how it reached its modern state, examine its current political and
economic structures, and focus on China's relationship with the United States.
The first civilization in China dates back to about 3000 B.C.E. to an agricultural-based society
along the Yellow River. Following principles of Confucianism, the emphasis was on family and
social harmony. Under centuries of imperial rule, the social obligation was to feed the masses.
To do this, food was stored in case of cataclysmic events such as droughts or
floods. Trade was managed so that shortages in one region were alleviated by surpluses in another.
Cooperation was valued over technology. A lack of military technology allowed foreign powers in the
1800s to upset trade networks in China. Coupled with natural disasters, that disruption led to
widespread famine which spurred rebellion against the empire. Early in the 20th century, the emperor
was overthrown and two opposing factions struggled for control of China. One group,
led by Chiang Kai-shek wanted democracy while a second led by Mao Zedong favored communism.
Mao Zedong eventually won, causing Chiang Kai-shek to flee to Taiwan. China was in ruins but Mao had
big plans. Private ownership of farmland ended as the communist government seized properties.
Agricultural production did in fact increase. By the mid-1950s, 88 of Chinese peasants worked for
the collective farms. Please pause here while you write down your response in the lesson pdf.
Do you believe the government seizure of private land was justified? Why or why not?
In the late 1950s, a new push began from Mao and the Chinese government. The Great Leap
Forward was designed to push China's economy from agrarian-based to industry-focused. More
than 750,000 collective farms were condensed to 23,000 settlements called people's communes.
Communist party officials determined what goods were made and who received them. The result
proved to be a great leap backward. Agricultural production fell and laborers had no incentive to
work hard as people received the same regardless of production. Bad weather and poor harvests were
factors as well as many who died from starvation. The program was scrapped after just a few years.
In the mid-1960s, Mao imposed the great cultural revolution in an attempt to revamp China
into a socialist society by eliminating capitalist and traditional elements.
A student-led group called the Red Guard served as Mao's enforcers,
eliminating anti-communist ideologies and customs. Enemies of the state were sent to labor camps or
executed. Millions died during the violence and chaos and the nation was again, in shambles.
China's steps to today's success began in the 1970s when Deng Xiaoping took control
after Mao's death with goals to improve the nation's agriculture, industry, technology,
and defense. To improve agricultural production communes were replaced with contracts. Land was
rented to families who decided what to produce and provide the government with a predetermined
amount of products at a set price. Families could then sell surplus at a market rate for profit.
The program proved successful as agricultural output increased significantly. A few years later,
China established diplomatic relations and bilateral trade with the US. The modernization
of China was well on its way. Please pause here while you write your response in a lesson pdf.
In your opinion, why were Deng Xiaoping's changes more successful than Mao Zedong's movements?
China painstakingly incorporated mixed market economic principles into its communist
government mindset. A blend of state-owned and mixed-ownership enterprises co-exist in what is
called by many, a socialist market economy. The nation established special economic zones along
the coast near Hong Kong and Taiwan in attempts to attract foreign capital. Private-sector
industries were allowed to operate their own businesses. The focus turned to light industry
with products such as clothing and appliances. Managers and workers were provided incentives to
increase production; and the results were better than imagined as China accounts for nearly 30% of
all global manufacturing. Since 2010, China has been the world's leading manufacturer and
is the world's leading exporter. In fact, pause here and take a moment to consider
items in your home that may have been made in China. Follow instructions on the pdf activity.
The rapid industrialization of China had many consequences, some not so good. China saw
massive migrations from rural villages to large cities as people moved for jobs. Those cities
have seen increases in crime, pollution, and overcrowding; plus, more demand for cars and oil.
Of the 60 largest cities in the world as of 2022, 16 are in China, including Shanghai and Beijing,
two of the eight largest cities on the planet. However, many of those cities include numerous
citizens with more disposable income than ever before as China ranks second to the US in total
number of millionaires and billionaires. The Chinese economy, as of 2022, produces
the second-largest GDP in the world and is the second-largest retail market in the world, behind
only the US. Do you think China will surpass the US as the world's leading economy? Why or why not?
As China enjoyed more economic prosperity, many began demanding more political freedom. The
most famous example is probably the student-led protest for democracy in 1989 in Tiananmen Square,
a monument in Beijing that serves as a gateway to the imperial forbidden city. Protesters arrived at
Tiananmen Square to voice a desire for increased rights. They were met with guns and tanks as the
Chinese government imposed martial law and crushed the protest. Dissident leaders were arrested,
some were executed, and at least two thousand were killed in the protests.
Meanwhile, protests continue in Hong Kong, a colony of Great Britain until 1997,
Hong Kong was returned to China and established as a special administrative region.
While Hong Kong maintains separate governing and economic systems from mainland China,
the concept is one country two systems. Citizens there want permanent control of their future.
Ongoing conflict exists between democratic protesters and police,
and the violence continues. Other than periods of open conflict, specifically
wars in Korea and Vietnam, China and the U.S. have generally enjoyed a stable relationship.
That stability is in part due to shared interests. Those include supervision of potential
proliferation of nuclear weapons and of course, trade. China and the US have the two largest
economies on the planet so it is only natural that they also have the largest total in two-way trade.
According to the U.S. census bureau, the U.S. in 2021, exported more than 150 billion dollars
worth of goods to China. During that same year, the U.S. imported more than 506 billion dollars
worth of goods from China. That means the U.S. trade deficit with China in 2021 was more than
355 billion dollars, down from a record 418 billion dollars in 2018.
Why do you think the U.S. chooses to import so many goods rather than produce them here?
Despite the strong economic connection, there are concerns. Many Americans and others around
the world were outraged at the Tiananmen Square incident. Unresolved questions regarding human
rights violations for groups such as the Uighurs, a Turkic Muslim group in China's most northwest
province, are a point of contention. Another is child labor. It is believed that almost
8% of Chinese children, between the ages of 10 to 15, work in factories and other businesses;
although the legal age to work is 16. The Chinese government is working to correct this problem as
most instances of this abuse occur among poor families in rural areas of western China.
Despite concerns over human rights, the U.S. and China maintain a strong economic relationship that
will likely continue far into the future. The question is, what will that relationship look
like in the future? And what could endanger the relationship between the U.S. and China?
More on China to come. Until then, keep exploring!