A Changing China

Throughout the Cultural Revolution, China continued to play a part in the international politics of the Cold War.

At a time when Mao was stressing Communist purity in China, his foreign policy with the USSR moved from an alliance to bitter hostility.

This led China to eventually forge ties with its former enemy, the United States.

China and the Cold War

Tensions between the Soviet and Chinese Communists dated back to the 1930s, when Russia supported Chiang Kai-shek over Mao.

In the beginning the People's Republic, Russia and China appeared to stand together.

In 1950 Mao signed a Treaty of Friendship with the Soviet Union, it offered China a sense of security against American attack.

But almost immediately the Sino-Soviet alliance began to show signs of strain.

Falling Out with the Soviets

In the mid-1950s a growing ideological divide emerged between Russia and China over the definition of Communism and how best to deal with the West.

While China favored continued aggression towards "imperialist" nations, the USSR began to consider "peaceful coexistence" with the United States.

Soon the ideological differences took on national dimensions, as both the Chinese and Soviets fought for territory and control of Communist satellite states.

Falling Out with the USSR

One result of the splitChina was forced to

find its own way in scientific research….Russia removed scientists from China

China’s first atomic bomb developed in 1964.

China’s atomic bomb

What was/were the key issue(s) that divided The USSR and The People’s Republic of China?

If you were President Nixon witnessing this divide, how could you take advantage of the situation?

Review

The United States watched the split with satisfaction

The US tried to establish links to China “The enemy of my enemy is

my friend”The US lifted trade

restrictions on China in 1969

US-China Relations

Richard Nixon agreed to allow China to the UNThis opened the door to warmer US/China relations

Mao dies September 9,1976

Successor Deng XiaopingA cautious reformerWanted to lead China

down a less dramatic economic path

Introduced the Four Modernizations

Mao Dies

Four ModernizationsIndustryEducationTechnologyDefense

A New China•Open Door Policy

- Deng’s belief that to modernize China's industry and boost its economy it needed to welcome foreign direct investment

- US gave China “most favored nation” trading status in 1992

China’s population reached over one billion in 1977.

In 1981 Deng launched a campaign to restrict families to just one child except under special circumstances.

Would be punished with fines and withdrawal of some health and education benefits.

One Child Policy

Modernization program transformed life in China’s costal countries.

The amount of exported goods multiplied five times over between 1981-1991

Economic growth rates grew 10% per year. GDP (measure of all goods produced) increased four

times.

Boom Times 1981-1991

Hong Kong originally seized by the British after the first Opium War in 1842

Hong Kong had been a reminder of China’s 19th century weakness and was a center of wealth and prosperity for British.

Was handed back to the Chinese in 1997 after a 99 year lease.

Hong Kong Returns

1986 waves of student protests and demonstrations for human rights, loss of jobs and rising crime rates.

Citizens gathered in Tiananmen Square for over a month in the face of news cameras and the government.

June 23, 1986 As students became more outspoken the government responded with tanks and troops. Soldiers had orders to fire

The students had been removed from the square and/or arrested.

China continues to be accused of UN Human Rights violations.

Tiananmen Square

Tiananmen Square

Two China’s

21st Century China

• Educated citizens growing by 1% per year• Citizens increasingly urban, better educated and nourished• Average living conditions increased 25%• Greater consumer goods • Stronger relations with Western democracies

• Population growth slowed, but most populous with 1.2 billion• Populations live on 1/6 of land area• High pollution• Authoritarian government• religious intolerance• Restrictions on free

speech and media

• Lack of judicial process• Torture in prisons

Economic Social/Political