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China
China: Philosophy and Religion
• Confucius was addressed as The Master all over
China
• His teachings were based on virtue and
goodness
• Confucius believed that the past tells us how to
live in the present
• His sayings were recorded in a book called The
Analects
• Other Chinese philosophies include Taoism
( Daoism) and Legalism
• Buddhism spread to China from India
Chinese dynasty
• A family of powerful leaders
in China, with the first
dynasties starting as early as
the Xia Dynasty which reined
from 2100 to 1600 B.C.
• Dynasties ended because
food shortages, famine and
war overwhelmed the Qing
Dynasty
China as a Republic
• In 1911, Sun Yat-sen founded the Chinese Nationalist Party and overthrew
the Qing dynasty in 1912. Yat sen was the first provisional president and
China struggled with establishing China as a Republic.
• The Chinese Communist party also formed and the two parties fought for
control of China.
• Before becoming communist, the Chinese government improved
transportation, provided education to more people and encouraged industry.
However the lives of peasants and workers were not improved and many
turned to the communist party for help.
**Nationalist means a person who advocates political independence for a
country
Mao Zedong
 As the first communist chairman of China, Mao Zedong
implemented reforms such as division of land and establishing
collective farms.
 In 1958 Mao launched a program called the Great Leap
Forward to speed economic development. It did the opposite:
Within a year China’s economy was shattered by the collective
farms. Poor agricultural production, droughts and floods
destroyed crops. 20 million people starved and millions died
of disease. China abandoned the Great Leap Forward.
Cultural Revolution
 After the Great Leap Forward failed, Mao feared the people
would want to make China a capitalist country.
 In 1966 he launched the Cultural Revolution to remove
opposition to the Communist Party.
 The Cultural Revolution ended with the death of Mao in
1976.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAGgXz_N98U
China’s government today
• Deng Ziaoping replaced Mao and established diplomatic relations
with the United States.
• China made reforms such as allowing farmers to own land,
releasing political prisoners and reducing to power of the police
force. However, the government was not willing to give up any of
it’s basic control.
• The Chinese Communist Party holds the power in China and
controls what happens locally.
• The government only allows churches and temples that are
closely linked to the party to operate
Tiananmen Square
• China’s government has history of repressing human rights.
• In 1989, the military denied freedom of speech when
protesters called for democracy.
• Tiananmen Square in Beijing was the location of weeks of
protests.
• The military killed hundreds and wounded many more to end
the protests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD2vo1VPi-M
Today’s Economy and Government
 Because China is communist, the government controls most of its
economy. However, the United States regularly purchases goods
made in China.
 China has placed emphasis on improving industry and has become
one of the largest cotton and metal producers.
 Many farm use outdated equipment, but China is still the world’s
largest producer of rice and is a major source of wheat, corn,
soybeans, peanuts, cotton and tobacco.
 With an emphasis on industry, China has allowed some
privatization of businesses so it is considered to have a mixed
economy.