Post on 28-Jul-2015
Early History
• Several “dynasties”.
• 2000-214 BCE
• Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism, Mohism all developed.
Painful Expansion
• Empires concentrate power
• Fight– Mongols– Koreans– Vietnamese– Assimilate many
• Mongols eventually dominate.
Market Economy
• Small scale industries grew up– Paper– Silk– Cotton– Porcelain– Gunpowder
• Large Navy developed• Canals built• Army = 1 million
Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1911)
• New Royal family uses brutal tactics
• Social strife
• Population explodes
• Economy fails to keep up
• European powers interfere in regional politics.
Opium Wars • British bought Chinese
products.• Paid with silver, which
depleted their supply.• Started selling opium to
Chinese.• 1/3 adult population became
addicts.• Empire forbid use of drug
and sale.• British smuggled it illegally.• When China attempted to
stop them, British military intervened.
Qin Falls
• Internal wars erupt, encourage by Europe.• Empire becomes suspicious of foreign tools,
customs, and technology.• Russia supports Muslim provinces to revolt. • Persecution of minority ethnic groups persist.• Taiping revolt led by self-proclaimed second son
of Christian God.• 20-50 million dead.
Communism Rises
• Boxer Rebellion– Chinese capture or kill Western
immigrants and sympathizers.– Western armies retaliate
• Qin dynasty agrees to Parliament and eventually abdicates.
• Soviet Union backs a Communist Party which eventually falls under Mao Zedong.
• Brief alliance formed with Nationalist under Chiang Kai-shek
Power Seized.
• Shek turns on Communist.• They proceed on long march.• Parties reunited to defeat
Japanese during WWII.• After WWII is over fighting
resumes.• Communists win and
Nationalists flee to Taiwan.
Great Leap Forward
• 25,000 communes set up with 5,000 families each
• Iron and steel production were thought essential.
• Entire economy devoted toward industrialization.
• 25-60 million starved to death.• Elimination of opponents and
establishment of Mao personality cult.
Reforms started in the late 1970s
• Phasing out of collectivized agriculture• Liberalization of prices• Fiscal decentralization• Increased autonomy for state enterprises• Foundation of a diversified banking• Development of stock markets• Rapid growth of the non-state sector• Opening to foreign trade and investment.
Positive Results
• Ten-fold increase in GDP since 1978.• Second-largest economy in the world after the
US • Economic development has generally been
more rapid in coastal provinces.• 100 million internet users at the end of 2005.• Foreign investment remains strong• Urban growth and prosperity is phenomenal.
Negative Results• Tens of millions of workers laid off from state-owned
enterprises• Migrants• New entrants to the work force• Corruption and other economic crimes• From 100 to 150 million surplus rural workers are
adrift between the villages and the cities, many subsisting through part-time, low-paying jobs.
• China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world.
• Deterioration in the environment – notably air pollution– soil erosion– steady fall of the water table especially in the North.
Statistics• GDP (purchasing power parity):
$8.158 trillion (2005 est.) • GDP (official exchange rate):
$1.833 trillion (2005 est.) • GDP - real growth rate:
9.2% (official data) (2005 est.) • GDP - per capita:
purchasing power parity - $6,200 (2005 est.) • GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 14.4% industry and construction: 53.1% services: 32.5% (2005 est.)
• Labor force: 791.4 million (2005 est.)
• Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 49%, industry 22%, services 29%
Conflict with USA
• Nixon introduced trade with China to encourage alliance (and make USSR suspiciously jealous).
• Trade has increased prosperity, especially of Communist Party.
• Democracy has not taken foot.• Over 20% of our imports come from China.• Only 8% of their imports come from the USA.• Have developed missiles to reach West Coast.• Still claims to own Taiwan, our ally.• Continues to increase military budget.