Thinking About China…                            

Size Matters Most populist country, 1/5 of world’s pop. Natural resources are stretched Limited arable land, water shortage New housing and industry competes for land/water Population is relatively homogeneous, with the exception of Tibet minority nationalities aren’t important Written Chinese is uniform. Spoken is not Chinese Nationalism (this is on steroids…superiority complex) China closed itself off for most of the last 1000 yrs. Economically One of the world’s top economies,Per capita still very poor Rapid economic, but not political change

People used to making choices in the marketplace Economic Change People used to making choices in the marketplace Signs that CCP is having trouble recruiting talented young commies for future govt. jobs Evolution of the Chinese State Confucianism-code of conduct. Respect and accept place in the social order First Centralized State-built canals, roads, and parts of the Great Wall (221 BC) Good emperors, things went well. Went through cycles of one dynasty to another                            

End of 18th century, China not doing well End of 18th century, China not doing well. Victims of bad governance, and belief in own superiority 19th century victims of Western Imperialism. China is humiliated Japan joins in de-facto control of China after C. loses Sino-Japanese war Chinese nationalism grows.

Sun Yat-Sen=1880’s started a political group aimed at overthrowing monarchy (weak Manchu dynasty). 1911 successful revolt, Sun was chosen as president. Problems warlords, monarchists, etc. Organizes the Guomintang (Nationalist Party) to fight against monarchists Chiang Kai-Shek=Joins Guomintang. Sun’s death assumes control of it. Needs help against warlords. Uses Soviet help. Chiang begins to purge Commies from Guomintang. 1934 Long March 100, 000 Commies on the run, 10,000 survive. Gain support of peasants…

WWII= US attempts to aid Guomintang to fight Japanese WWII= US attempts to aid Guomintang to fight Japanese. American $ benefits government and party elites and fight Commies rather then Japanese. Commies fight Japanese. Peasants see Commies as patriots. CCP got credit. More support for Commies among the people After WWII, full Civil War breaks out btwn. Commies and Guomintang. Chiang’s military skills are no match for commies and loyal peasants

Mao Peasant background WWII ends and Guomintang forced south, forced to Taiwan. 1949 Peoples Republic of China=mainland China 1936 chairman of CCP, hold this post for 40 yrs. “Mass Line”=from the masses to the masses, Take the ideas of the masses , distil and concentrate them, give them back to the masses and explain them until the masses embrace them

“Democratic Centralism”- internal disagreements kept Factionalism From time of rev it took 30 yrs for China to attain stability CCP has a legal monopoly on political power and dominates policy making and implementation. “Democratic Centralism”- internal disagreements kept to a minimum, power in the hands of the party elite Factionalism- DC is an ideal. Always had factions within the party Sino-Soviet split-Stalin criticized, Mao didn’t like Hundred Flowers Campaign- speak your mind. Uh oh! (don’t like what people had to say) Great Leap Forward-Rapidly move to collective ag and industrialize. “Red v Expert”. Million + die Cultural Revolution- used students “Red Guard” attack anyone who wasn’t loyal to Mao. All Western ideas attacked 4 Modernizations=agriculture, science, industry, and military Currently ideology minimized. Efforts focus on economy. Political system still closed.