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China Follows its Own Path
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What were some unintended impacts
of Mao Zedong’s policies on China?
• Damaged Chinese agricultural and industrial output
– Lack of modern technology
– Elimination of individual work incentives
• Led to talks in China of modernizing the economy and
“taking the capitalist road”
• The Cultural Revolution, meant to save radical
communism, actually turned many Chinese people
against it
How did Zhou Enlai “open China’s doors” to the
world? What effects did this have on China’s
relations w/the western world?
• 1971 – invited an American table tennis team to tour China
– Signaled that China was willing to form ties w/Western nations
• 1971 – US endorsed UN membership for the PRC (mainland
China)
• 1972 – President Nixon visited China (1st president to do so)
• 1979 – US & China formed diplomatic relations
Who emerged as China’s most powerful leader
by 1980? How did he differ from Mao?
• 1980 – Deng Xiaoping was China’s most
powerful leader
• Boldly supported moderate economic policies
and was willing to use capitalist ideas to
improve China’s economy
What results did Deng’s Four Modernizations
have on China’s economy? (list at least 3)
• Eliminated the commune system
– Farmers had to pay rent in a quota of crops to the government
but could grow & sell excess crops for profit
• Food production increased by 50%
• Gov. allowed small private businesses to operate & gave
more freedom to managers of large state-run businesses
– Incomes increased & people began buying appliances and TVs
• Some foreign technology & investment was allowed
– China had many more Western influences
• New fashions, more tourists
How did economic reform introduce
new political ideas to China?
• More Chinese students began studying abroad
(overseas) in Western nations
– Learned about western political ideas (personal
freedom, democracy)
– Led to more Chinese questioning their lack of
political freedom
What were students calling for in their
occupation of Tiananmen Square in 1989?
• Called for democratic reforms and freedom of
the press in China
– Some called for Deng Xiaoping to resign
How did Deng and the Communists respond to
the protests and calls for his resignation?
• Deng declared martial law (military rule)
• Heavily armed soldiers and tanks stored
Tiananmen Square to break up the protest
• Hundreds killed and thousands wounded
How did government officials explain
their actions to the Chinese people?
• Said that claims of a massacre were untrue
• Officials said a small group of criminals had
plotted against the government
• Said that the military showed restraint before
being forced to crush the riot
What human rights issues have some Americans
criticized China for throughout the 1990s?
• China continues to repress pro-democracy
movements
• Continues to deny basic rights to political
opponents