China and the Cold War - 2024 Note Pack PDF

TOPIC 1: The Cold War – case study for 2025 HOW DID CHINA RISE AS A WORLD POWER AFTER 1949? SAGS requirements How did China rise as a world power after 1949? A detailed analysis of the factors that led to the 'Sino-Soviet Split' and the creation of a 'third force' in the Cold War...

TOPIC 1: The Cold War – case study for 2025 HOW DID CHINA RISE AS A WORLD POWER AFTER 1949? SAGS requirements How did China rise as a world power after 1949? A detailed analysis of the factors that led to the 'Sino-Soviet Split' and the creation of a 'third force' in the Cold War Briefly: Second World War and events leading up to 1949 and the establishment of Peoples' Republic of China 'Great Leap Forward' and 'Cultural Revolution' [NOT EXAMINABLE] China's relations with the superpowers from 1949 to 1973 (clash of ideologies/ individual events/personalities) − USSR – USA China's changing relationships with neighbouring states (Tibet, India, Vietnam and Taiwan) To what extent was China established as a 'superpower' by the time of Mao's death? Impact of China's economic liberalisation on relations with the rest of the world since Mao's death until the present [NOT EXAMINABLE] At the end of World War Two China was in a state of political disunity and weakness and there was no central government to maintain control. In the decades that followed this changed – after 1949 this changed. China became communist and emerged as a major world power that influenced the Cold War. At the time, it seemed to the West as if the Soviets had gained an important advantage in the Cold War. The USSR welcomed the People’s Republic of China as an ally, and the two countries signed a treaty of friendship. The Americans, however, saw the communist victory in China as part of a Soviet plot to spread communism around the world. But China later broke with the USSR and became a powerful state in its own right. 1 Background and Events leading up to the Communist victory of 1949 (Not Examinable) China is home to an ancient civilisation that can be traced through written records to at least 1600bc. The territory controlled by this civilisation has undergone periods of highs and lows over the centuries, and there were frequent periods of the collapse of central authority due to warring dynasties or foreign invasion such as that of the Mongols under Genghis Khan. However, a persistent feature of Chinese government had been central rule by an emperor, administered by a civil service. Under the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), Chinese emperors had ruled one third of the world’s population and China had the world’s largest economy. By the 19th century China had stagnated and was falling behind the rising European powers in terms of technological development and economic strength. This was brought home by the failure of China to defeat Britain in the Opium Wars of the 1840s, beginning a period which is referred to in China as the “century of humiliation”. By the end of the 19th century, foreign powers had gained footholds on Chinese territory (such as Hong Kong) and intervened in Chinese domestic affairs. This reduced the power and authority of the Emperor and local warlords began to run different parts of China according to their own desires. Many Chinese criticised the refusal of the Emperor’s government to reform and modernise and attempts were made to spark a revolution, most notably by the revolutionary Sun Yat-Sen – who wished to establish a Republic and introduce economic reforms and democracy. Republicans finally overthrew the last emperor in 1912. The Kuomintang (Chinese nationalists) took over. Sun Yat-Sen tried to assume power, but was soon overshadowed. However, the division that had arisen in the country were not so easily eradicated and the new central government had difficulty in exercising control. This was further complicated by Japanese intervention in China during the First World War. In the 1920s, the struggle for unity continued. The Kuomintang (KMT) were aided in their fight against a rebel northern warlord (in a military expedition led by Chiang Kai-Shek, who would later lead the KMT government) by the new Chinese Communist Party. After this, Chiang turned on the communist party and forced them out of the cities. 1920s and 1930s: Nationalist and Communists in China fight a civil war. America supported the Nationalist Leader Chiang Kai-Shek and Kai-Shek’s forces maintained power in part owing to the influence of American money, arms and advisers. During the retreat from KMT forces, called the Long March, Mao Zedong emerged as the leader of the Communist forces. Mao initially sought support and aid from the Soviet Union but later decided to gather support from the millions of peasants in the countryside whom were poverty stricken and greatly dissatisfied with their current living conditions. This would later lead Mao to focus on peasants as the focus of a communist revolution, and ideological difference from the USSR. The Civil War was put on hold for the years 1937 – 1945 because of Japan’s invasion of China. The KMT and communists called a truce so that they could both fight the Japanese. 2 After 1945 and the Second World War America attempted to maintain this unity within China and keep Chiang as their leader. However, the Civil War resumed after the war with Japan. The Chinese Communist Takeover 1949: The Nationalist side was defeated. Chiang Kai-Shek and the rest of the KMT government retreated to the island of Taiwan and still claimed to be the legitimate government. However, Mao announced the Communist Victory and proclaimed the People’s Republic of China. Immediately, Mao established a good relationship with the USSR and the Soviets welcomed the success as a victory for World Communism. Reaction of the US Fearing a Soviet-dominated communist block, the US refused to recognise the Communist government and Taiwan kept China’s seat at the UN. Meanwhile, US fears of China as a new satellite state for the USSR seemed to be realised during the Korean War. China supported the North Koreans who had assisted Mao and the Communists during the Chinese Civil War. Northern Korea received financial and military aid from the Soviet Union South Korean was supported by America and the Western Powers. The war ended in a ceasefire. The result was strengthened relations between the USSR and China: Mao and Stalin signed a friendship treaty which was intended to last for 30 years. However, the US impression was mistaken. There were ideological differences: Mao believed that a communist revolution could be led by the peasantry, as it had been in China, and did not require a worker-lead revolution. Mao was also determined to re-establish China’s place in the world rather than become a satellite of the USSR. China under the Chinese Communist Party: Mao’s Policies (Not Examinable) The PRC had a system like Lenin’s USSR: The National People’s Congress of the CCP made law and elected the Chairman. As first Chairman, Mao was effectively a dictator. Mao sought to improve agriculture, industry, education and healthcare through 5-year plans, as Stalin had. Some of these policies were very popular, such as the redistribution of land from landlords to peasants. 3 The Great Leap Forward In 1958 he decided to implement an ambitious 2nd 5-year plan called the “Great Leap Forward” to industrialise China. This tried to achieve too much too fast and was a failure. Millions died of famine. Additionally, China’s plan to modernise and industrialize the country worsened relations between China and Russia as the Soviet Union, under Khrushchev, condemned China’s decision as ineffective and futile. This was in line with Khrushchev’s position: he had criticised Stalin’s soon after taking power. This was one of the reasons for the Sino-Soviet Split. The Cultural Revolution Mao lost prestige because of the Great Leap's failure. Mao's prestige within the Party fell and in 1959, Mao resigned as head of state, and was succeeded by Liu Shaoqi. Moderates began to reverse his policies. Some party officials criticised Mao. The Cultural Revolution was Mao’s campaign to regain power and get rid of his perceived enemies. In 1965 a speech by one of Mao’s supporters encouraged pupils in schools and colleges to criticise liberals in the CCP. They were to destroy the “4 Olds”: Old customs, old culture, old habits, old ideas Youths formed groups of Red Guards to criticise anyone Mao considered untrustworthy: writers, economists, teachers, anyone associated with Liu Shaoqi or to have a “superior” attitude. Mao aimed to create a classless society of workers and peasants where all would be equal. Mao created a cult of personality around himself, much like Stalin had. People were encouraged to read a book of his quotes, called the “little red book” for guidance. The Cultural Revolution was successful in shoring up Mao’s power, but caused chaos in China. Little secondary or tertiary education happened during this time and many people lived in fear: Schools and colleges were closed Red Guards attacked temples, mosques, churches and museums The economy started to fail Different groups of Red Guards fought each other over who knew best what China needed In October 1968 Liu Shaoqui was expelled from the CCP. Having achieved his main aim, Mao began to tone down his rhetoric and advised the youth to return to school. This is seen as the end of the Cultural Revolution, although disturbances continued for some time. Mao remained the most important figure in China until his death in 1976. 4 CHINESE RELATIONS WITH THE SOVIET UNION AND THE USA (1948-1973) Relations between China and the USSR Stalin welcomed the People’s Republic of China as a victory for world communism. Mao visited Moscow in 1950 and a Treaty of Friendship was signed. In terms of this treaty the Soviet Union gave China a significant amount of aid in the form of advisors, technicians, as well as industrial and military equipment. This aid played a key role in China’s first Five Year Plan (1953-1957). Relations between the two countries were strengthened by their support for North Korea in the Korean War. Both countries felt threatened by their common enemy, the USA, which was building up anti-communist alliances in Asia. However, the alliance between China and the USSR was an uneasy one and by 1960 there was a rift between these two communist giants. The USSR withdrew its advisors from China and cancelled all aid. It is called the Sino-Soviet Split. There were a number of reasons for this, including: They had different interpretations of the communist ideology. Marx had believed that a successful revolution could only come about through the revolutionary actions of the proletariat (urban industrial working class). This had happened in Russia. But, during the civil war, the Chinese Communist Party had built up its support among the rural peasants – Mao thus believed that the change should be focused on the countryside and should meet the needs of the peasants rather than the urban population (hereby putting his own spin on Marxism) Mao supported Marx’s belief that the revolution only ended when a classless society was achieved. The Soviets, however, believed that continued revolutionary action would destroy the country, and that this transformation would happen gradually over time. When Khrushchev proposed a policy of ‘peaceful co-existence’ with the West, China accused the USSR of ‘revisionism’, i.e., changing the ideas of Marx and Lenin, who had taught that the revolution must continue until the whole world had become communist. Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation policy and his move towards a more peaceful policy of co-existence with the West led the CCP to believe that the USSR was departing from the true doctrines of Marxist-Leninism and that the USSR was no longer fit to lead the communist world.. 5  Khrushchev refused to support China when she mobilized against Taiwan in 1958. After this, the USSR withdrew its advisors and cancelled commercial contracts. In 1958 the Soviet ambassador suggested that the Chinese Navy should be subordinate to that of the Soviets There were disputes over territory along the long border between China and the Soviet Union. In the 1962 border dispute between China and India the USSR supplied India with MIG fighter jets China felt that the amount of aid that it received from Russia was insufficient. (some non-communist countries, such as India and Egypt received more Soviet aid than China did.) The USSR was critical of China’s Great Leap Forward, believing certain aspects to be unrealistic China was angered by the Soviet Union’s refusal to supply her with nuclear weapons. In 1964, China developed its own nuclear weapons – much to the concern of both the USSR and the USA. Relations between China and Russia remained cool, or even hostile, until the 1990’s. Mao criticized Khrushchev’s handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis and for signing the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963 because it was a collaboration with the West. Khrushchev accused Mao of wanting to see the USSR and the USA destroy each other leaving China to take over. Both sides started openly competing for influence among the newly independent nations in Asia and Africa. This had far-reaching implications on Sino-Soviet relations with regard to the Cold War. These include: Instead of the Soviets and Chinese developing a strong power bloc in the East, there was a serious battle taking place for domination of the communist world. International communism had become a divided force and the USSR and China became involved in a competition to win or retain the loyalty and support of the rest of the communist world. The public arguments and disharmony between the USSR and China was a factor in Khrushchev’s weakening position in the USSR and his fall from power in 1964. His attempts at peaceful co-existence with the West had been unsuccessful. The increasing battle of words between the USSR and China results in the Soviet Union refusing to deliver atomic bombs to China and to set up a joining naval base in the Pacific. If this had been achieved, control of the Cold War would certainly have tipped towards the Communist bloc. 6  In 1969, fighting in a border conflict nearly brought the Soviet Union and China to an all-out war. As a result of this crisis the two countries sought to isolate each other diplomatically. Once again this meant that the strong power bloc in the east did not materialise, much to the relief of the West. Relations between China and the USA In 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was declared, the West was alarmed and openly hostile, and for 20 years (1949 -1969) they tried to disrupt, destabilise and weaken China’s communist government. The USA therefore: supported China’s enemies when they could and made no secret of the fact that they viewed communism as a threat. supported Chiang Kai Shek’s Chinese Nationalist Government in its fight against Mao and the communists during the civil war. They continued to support this Nationalist Government even after its defeat and withdrawal to Taiwan in 1949. together with other Western countries continued to recognise Taiwan as the representative of the people of China. established military alliances along China’s eastern and southern borders, which included alliances with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They also founded SEATO (Southeast Asian Treaty Organization) and signed the ANZUS Treaty with Australian and New Zealand. discouraged its allies from entering into diplomatic relations with China and even banned Americans from visiting China. cut off trade with China and organised an international embargo of China. blocked China’s entry into the United Nations for over 20 years In the Korean War (1950-1953) the US and UN troops supported the South against the Chinese supported communist North. This brought the Chinese and American forces into direct conflict. By the time the war was over, over 3 million people had died and Korea was still divided into a capitalist south and communist north. As a result, the USA extended its Policy of Containment by offering economic aid and military protection to other countries in Asia. The communists in China gained support at home, as they were seen as standing up to and beating back imperialists. After this, China portrayed the USA as its main enemy and all remaining Westerners were expelled from China. In the Vietnam War (1965-1973) China supplied aid to the communist North Vietnamese and Viet Cong in their fight against America. 7 By being tougher on China than on the Soviet Union, the US pursued a so-called ‘wedge strategy’. This strategy aimed to encourage a split between the two communist allies. It was successful, as by the 1960s the relationship between the USSR and China was deteriorating. After the Sino-Soviet split, relations between China and the West began to improve. In the 1970’s China began to establish closer links with the USA. WHY DID CHINA TRY TO IMPROVE RELATIONS WITH THE USA AFTER 1970? In the 1960s the USA was very suspicious of China. They felt that China wanted to spread communism to unstable countries in South East Asia. Throughout the 1960s the US blocked China’s entry to the UN and backed Chiang Kai-shek’s Taiwan. They kept a fleet of ships patrolling the Chinese coast throughout this time and helped rebuild Japan’s strength so that it could be a more effective buffer against China. After 1970, however, the relationship between China and the USA began to change. President Nixon tried to develop a new policy to deal with the threat of communism: Nixon Doctrine. He realised that the USA could not fight Communism everywhere. He felt that if he improved US relations with China he could take advantage of the Chinese spilt with the Soviet Union. In addition, by the late 1960s the attitudes among China’s leaders towards the USA began to change. After the US setbacks in the Vietnam War, the Chinese no longer saw the USA as a threat in the region. After the Cultural Revolution there were also less objections among Chinese leaders to seeking better relations with the USA, partially because of the increasing tensions between the USSR and China and also because China did not wish to be isolated against both the USA and USSR. Mao wanted to get access to Western investment, technology and advisers to help improve Chinese industry. In 1971 Nixon’s Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, visited China. In 1971 America also withdrew its opposition to China’s membership in the UN and China replaced Taiwan as a permanent member of the Security Council. In 1972, Richard Nixon became the first US president to visit China. (This was followed by President Ford in 1976). Other symbolic gestures did a lot to convince people that relations with the West were improving. Chinese giant pandas were sent to the London Zoo and in 1971 the Chinese table-tennis team – the best in the world – competed for the first time against the US team (i.e., a capitalist country). This resulted in some people referring to the improved diplomatic relations as ‘ping-pong diplomacy’. 8 In 1972 China and the USA signed a Friendship Treaty. After Mao’s death in 1976 relations improved even further as the two countries then established full diplomatic relations. In 1976 President Ford visited China and in 1979 Deng Xiaoping, Mao’s successor, paid a visit to the USA. During the 1970s within a short period of time trade and investment were flowing into China from America, Western Europe and Japan. China needed American investment for its modernisation programme and so firms such as Coca-Cola, Kodak and McDonalds gained trading and production rights in China. At the same time China placed some $2 billion worth of orders for advice and machinery with the USA. However, America’s ongoing support for Taiwan was a source of tension between China and the USA. CHINA’S CHANGING RELATIONSHIPS WITH NEIGHBOURING STATES China’s relationship with her neighbours was influenced by: China’s hatred of foreigners, especially those from the USA and Europe China was a poor peasant based country and thus often allied herself with the poor “Third World” countries in Africa and Asia The Chinese communists won their victory in 1949 without Russian or foreign aid. They thus regarded the USSR as their friend During the Cold War China was almost completely cut off from contact with non- communist countries China’s relations with Tibet Tibet is a mountainous region with its own language and culture. Most people support the Buddhist religion and believe that their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was a reincarnation of a follower of Buddha. The Dalai Lama sometimes controlled the Tibetan government in the capital, Lhasa. For centuries Tibet was an independent state, but in the 18th century it became a protectorate of China. However, the Chinese allowed the Tibetans to manage their own affairs. During the 1920s, Tibet took advantage of the weakness and lack of unity in China, and declared its independence. But after the CCP came to power, Mao’s People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet in 1950-1951, Tibet ‘to expel imperialist aggressors’. The Tibetan army of 60,000 tried to resist, but was defeated in 6 months and Tibet was made an autonomous (independent) region within the 9 Peoples Republic of China (PRC). A Seventeen-Point Agreement was signed between China and the Tibetan government. This removed Tibet’s independence by taking control over Tibetan external affairs and over the Tibetan armed forces, while continuing to give them some autonomy in government, religious freedom and recognizing the position of the Dalai Lama. Not all Tibetans accepted the Chinese army. Not all Tibetans accepted the Seventeen-Point Agreement and the Dalai Lama and other leaders later claimed that Tibet had been forced to sign it. Tensions between Tibetan and PRC troops increased and from the mid-1950s there was armed guerrilla resistance, led by Buddhist monks, to Chinese control. This resistance was supported by the USA. The People’s Liberation Army responded by destroying entire villages, threatened to blow up the Potala Palace and kill the Dalai Lama. In 1959, a revolt broke out in Lhasa after rumours that the Chinese were planning to arrest the Dalai Lama and take him to Beijing. Chinese troops quelled the revolt, killing thousands of Tibetans. The Dalai Lama, together with many high Tibetan officials and leaders, escaped over the mountains and went into exile in India. The presence of the Tibetan leaders in India caused tension between India and China. It also led to tension between China and the Western governments who were sympathetic to the Tibetan cause. After the failed uprising, Tibet was placed more directly under Chinese rule. The Chinese imposed Mandarin, forbade the Tibetans to grow grain or move their yak herds; the resultant famine killed a quarter of the population – a secret report by the Panchen Lama in 1962 accused the PRC of genocide. Monastic estates were divided up and much of the land was given to Chinese rather than Tibetan farmers. The state took over education. This period, 1959 – 1962, is sometimes referred to as the Tibetan genocide. During the Cultural Revolution, Mao’s CCP took a hard line against all established religions, including Buddhism. Buddhist temples and monasteries in Tibet were looted and destroyed by the Red Thousands of Tibetan nuns and monks were killed tortured or imprisoned. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Chinese authorities refused to allow contact between Tibet and the outside world. More recently, however, there has been a shift in policy and there are plans to build a direct high speed railway from Beijing to Lhasa to encourage tourism in Tibet. China’s relations with India The relationship between India and China was a troubled one. Initially India supported Mao and his CCP, and India was one of the first countries to recognize the Peoples Republic of China, and in 1954 the two countries signed a joint agreement of ‘peaceful co-existence’ and India officially recognized Tibet as being part of China. 10 However, tensions between the two nations arose over two areas on the border between them Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin. These areas had been claimed by the British as part of India, but the Chinese did not accept these claims. When India became independent in 1947, these two areas were incorporated in the new independent state. China, however, continued to regard these areas as part of China. In 1957 the Chinese built a road across Aksai Chin to transport troops and supplies to Tibet. India started setting up garrisons and border posts in both regions. After the Tibetan uprising of 1959, relations between Indian and China deteriorated. The Chinese were angry because the Indian government allowed the Dalai Lama and thousands of Tibetan refugees to flee to India and settle there. The Chinese authorities believed that the exiled Tibetans were plotting against China. In 1962 a brief war (it lasted 20 days) broke out between India and China when Chinese troops moved into the disputed border areas. In this war, India received military supplies from the USA, as well as from the USSR (as a result of the Soviet- Sino split). The war ended when a compromise agreement was reached: China retained control over Aksai Chin. The Chinese withdrew from Arunachal Pradesh, leaving India in control there. However, tension between the two countries remained and there was more fighting between the two countries in Sikkim in 1967. The 1962 war has been interpreted by some as an attempt by Mao to strengthen his own position within China by showing he could defeat those who supported Tibet. In this the war succeeded, as the outcome of the conflict was seen as a Chinese victory. However, as a result of Chinese actions during the war, other countries became suspicious of China and began to see it as an aggressive force within the region. Also, India shifted from its policy of non-alignment to getting support and aid from the Americans. In 1971, India made a Treaty of Friendship with the USSR; China denounced India as ‘a tool of Soviet expansionism’. Relations reached a new low when India developed nuclear missiles in the 1990s; however, although border relations remain difficult, the two countries have established extensive trade relations. China’s relations with Vietnam After the Korean War there was an increasing foreign interest and involvement in SE Asia: the West feared the spread of communism there, while the USSR and China feared being encircled by countries which were part of Western military 11 alliances. As a result, there was intense rivalry between the superpowers in the region. In the earlier centuries there had been close ties between China and Vietnam – parts of northern Vietnam had even been ruled by China for centuries and the Vietnamese adopted many aspects of Chinese culture. In the 19th century Vietnam became a French colony and after World War Two Vietnamese nationalists led by Ho Chi Minh fought the French and defeated them in 1964. Vietnam was divided into two: the communist north and the capitalist south. When war broke out between these two sides, the USA became involved when they helped South Vietnam. At first North Vietnam depended on China for support and military supplies. China built air bases near the Vietnamese border to protect Chinese interests, and also sent Chinese workers to Vietnam to keep the railway lines to China open. However, Mao was reluctant to give further direct assistance - partly because he did not want to send Chinese troops out of the country during the Cultural Revolution. As a result, North Vietnam turned increasingly to the USSR for support. This strengthened Mao’s decision not to get more involved as he was unwilling to support the Soviets because of the Sino-Soviet split. In reality China followed a policy of non-intervention during much of the Vietnam War – especially after 1970 when relations between the USA and China improved. During the Vietnam War the relations between China and North Vietnam were sometimes tense, e.g., North Vietnam criticised China over the Cultural Revolution. These relations failed to improve, even after North Vietnam won the war and united the two Vietnams as a communist state – this was mostly due to the close alliance between Vietnam and the USSR. In 1979, 200 000 Chinese troops invade the northern part of Vietnam, claiming that when Vietnam had invaded Cambodia (an ally of China) it was trying to establish Vietnamese control over the area. In reality the Vietnamese invasion was to overthrow the ruthless regime of Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge Party which had been responsible for a genocide in which millions of Cambodian people died. A further reason for the on-going tensions between China and Vietnam were disputes between Chinese merchants and local residents in northern Vietnam who thought the merchants were exploiting them. The invading Chinese troops were forced back after fierce clashes with the Vietnamese army. This war showed that although both countries were communist, local issues had the potential to cause conflict between them. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, relations improved, and in 2000 China and Vietnam signed a ‘Joint Statement for Comprehensive Cooperation’ 12 which led to extensive trade agreements. China’s relations with Taiwan In 1949 when Mao and his CCP defeated the Nationalists in the civil war, Chiang Kai Shek and about two million Nationalists fled from mainland China to Taiwan where they set up the Republic of China. They refused to recognise Mao’s communist government and referred to them as ‘communist bandits’. Similarly, Mao and the CCP refused to recognise the Republic of China (Taiwan). The Nationalists were supported by the US until the 1970s. As a result, the tension between China and Taiwan remained high. Internationally, China was recognised by the majority of the members of the United Nations only a few close allies of the USA during the Cold War era, including South Africa, recognised Taiwan. The Chinese government saw, (and still does see) Taiwan as a breakaway province that rightfully belongs to them. However, the support Taiwan got from the USA prevented China from taking military action against Taiwan. US naval ships have patrolled the Taiwan Straits since 1950. When China attacked the Taiwanese controlled islands of Quemoy and Matsu in 1958, the USA threatened to use nuclear arms against China. However, at the same time the USA convinced Taiwan not to retaliate. The Soviet leader, Khrushchev also warned China not to invade Taiwan as the Soviets did not want to risk provoking US intervention in Asia. Missile bases established in Taiwan have also protected it from attack from the mainland. TO WHAT EXTENT WAS CHINA DEVELOPED AS A SUPERPOWER BY THE TIME OF MAO’S DEATH? By the time of Mao's death China was a significant player on the world stage. In 1967 the Chinese had tested their first Hydrogen Bomb, making them a Nuclear Power. They had a huge military presence that was respected and feared. The Chinese were also considered by other major powers when analysing their own influence in Asia. China was a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and was treated as an important nation in terms of diplomacy by the United States and the Soviet Union. China also competed with the Soviet Union in their dealings with Africa countries. Thus, China set up several projects in Africa, the largest being the building of the Tan-Zam railway – to allow Zambia to export copper through the Tanzanian port of Dar-es-Salaam. Projects like this allowed China to gain respect and influence Africa. China also provided support to some African liberation groups such as the PAC in South Africa. 13 Although not yet a third superpower, by the time of Mao’s death China was seen as major world power. THE IMPACT OF CHINA’S ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION ON RELATIONS WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD SINCE MAO’S DEATH UNTIL THE PRESENT. (Not examinable) Shortly after Mao’s death, Deng Xiaoping emerged as the leader of China. He was the leader of a group who wanted to reform the Chinese economy by adapting, not abandoning, some of the strict centralised controls associated with communism. This mixture of capitalist incentives with reduced communist control (like allowing foreign investment and allowing small businesses to be privately owned and people to work to make a profit) is sometimes referred to as ‘market Leninism’. As a result of these reforms, by the 1980s China’s economy was booming. The standard of living of millions of Chinese improved, and China later became the largest market in the world for material goods such as TV sets, cell phones, cars and luxury items. A key factor in creating this boom was China’s willingness to open up to foreign trade and investment. Special economic zones (called SEZs) were established, with low taxes and other incentives to encourage the production of goods for export as well as foreign investment. Many international companies switched to manufacturing their goods in China because it had a huge labour force and few labour regulations. However, in spite of its willingness to allow capitalist economic practices, the Chinese government was not prepared to introduce democratic reforms. This was clearly demonstrated in 1989 when the government ordered troops to crush student protestors in Tiananmen Square in Beijing (Tiananmen Square Massacre). Although the outside world was shocked by the brutality of the crackdown, it did not stop their eagerness to trade with and invest in China’s booming economy. The dramatic industrial growth in China led to a massive demand for raw materials and resources. Consequently, China began to invest in other parts of the world, especially Africa to get access to products such as coal, oil etc. One measure of China’s increasing influence in the world is its position as a leading member of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.), an economic grouping formed by the leading emerging economies. These are all countries which have large eco9nomies and significant influences on regional and global affairs. 14 REFERENCE LIST Bottaro, J et.al. (2013). In Search of History Grade 12 Learner's Book. South Africa: Oxford University Press. Fernandez, M et. al (2013) Focus History Grade 12: Cape Town: Maskew Miller Longman. Pillay. G (Ed). (2013). New Generation History. Learner’s Book. Grade 12. Musgrave: New Generation Publishers. 15