Poli330 Chap13

Chapter 13

Population: 1.3+ billion
Geographic area: slightly smaller than U.S. – fourth largest country in world
Political system: Communist party-state – officially a socialist state under people’s democratic dictatorship. Chinese Communist Party - CCP
Executive: Premier (head of government) and president (head of state) elected by legislature, but approval of CCP leadership. Current president – Hu Jintao

Legislature: Unicameral National People’s Congress – 2985 delegates – elected indirectly – five-year terms. Rubber stamp for CCP policies
Judiciary: nationwide system of people’s courts. Supreme People’s Court supervises.
Party System: one-party system – CCP (but eight other insignificant “democratic” parties)

Three important historical periods:
Imperial period (221 BC to 1911 AD) – series of dynasties/emperors
Republican period (1912-1949) – civil wars and foreign invasions
Communist period (1949-present) – founding of People’s Republic of China

One of world’s oldest cultural & political traditions
China’s first emperor unified country 221 BC
Ruled by dozen different family-based dynasties
Revolution 1911 – ended 2000 year old imperial system

Five major reasons
Effective national government – merit-based bureaucracy – competitive exams
Traditional Chinese economy strong – urbanization occurred before W. Europe
Structure of traditional society – small villages – landlords & elites maintained system in countryside
Enduring influence of Confucianism (Confucius 551-478 BC) – importance of group over individual
Dominant political, military, & cultural force

Established 1912 – revolutionary Dr. Sun Yat-sen became president
Problems with warlords
1921 – Chinese Communist Party established – inspired by Russian Revolution
Initially joined Sun Yat-sen to fight warlords
Alliance fell apart when Chiang Kai-shek took power after Sun Yat-sen’s death 1925 – he ordered bloody suppression to wipe out communists

Communists regrouped – relocated to countryside – focus on peasants
Long March – 1934-35 – communists escaped attack by Chiang’s forces
Mao Zedong – consolidated power of CCP – elected party chairman in 1943
Communists given boost by Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 which brought WWII to China
Mao mobilized peasants to use guerilla warfare

By 1945 – CCP had expanded membership – controlled much of north China
After Japan surrendered – civil war resumed
Nationalists (Chiang) retreated to Taiwan
1949 – Mao declared founding of People’s Republic of China

Massive land reforms – redistributed property from rich to poor - increased agricultural productivity
Nationalization of industry & collectivization
Elimination of opium addiction & prostitution
Laws enhancing status of women – freed from arranged marriages

Hundred Flowers Movement (1956)– shake up bureaucrats, allow people to have more voice
Anti-Rightist Campaign (1957)– reaction to criticism of Hundred Flowers – thousands fired, sent to labor camps
Great Leap Forward (1958-1960) – attempt at “true communism” – leap a flop – 20-30 million died
Great Proletarian Revolution (1966-1976) ideological crusade – back to socialism – but with violent methods – Red Guard purges

Successor after Mao’s death
Break with Maoist past – private enterprise encouraged
Chinese economy grew during 1980s
Tiananmen Square (June 1989) – students & intellectuals demonstrated in Beijing – military eventually “cleared” the square
Political repression ensued
When Soviet Union collapsed by 1992 – PRC sought to avoid similar fate

Continued economic reform & growth
Admitted to World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001
Hu Jintao took power 2003 – new kind of leader
Hu hardline on dissent, but softer on dealing with economic issues

China nuclear power – world’s largest conventional military
One of five permanent members of UN Security Council
Early 1970s, détente with U.S. because China more afraid of USSR
Sino-American relations are difficult
Disagreements over human rights in Tibet, and political status of Taiwan
However, PRC chief ally against terrorism after 9/11

Considered “one of century’s greatest economic miracles”
China now major player – creditor to the world – even U.S.
International trade central component – takes advantage of low-wage domestic labor to produce goods sold worldwide
U.S. biggest market for Chinese goods (lead & tainted milk)
Economic changes – led to increased gulf between rich & poor – more political & social tensions

China’s contradictory position in world economy:
Trending towards system of “Market-Leninism” – economic openness & political rigidity
Low level of economic & technological development – makes it part of “Third World”
Web access tightly controlled for citizens – bureaucracy “polices” the Internet
But, total output and expanding trade – and vast population – make it economic superpower among nations

Tibet
China’s One-child policy
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Beijing Olympics
Challenge of democratic ideas

Poli330 Chap13

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