Global Political and Social Awareness - The People's Republic of China

China is one of the oldest and culturally richest countries in human history. In fact, its influence and power have been felt across continental Asia for millennia. During the middle ages and age of enlightenment in Europe, China was seen as a global power. It was arguably the most powerful kingdom in the world until its antagonistic attitude towards change and reformation led to its demise in the hands of the British.

Modern China is seeking to tap into its glorious rich past to feed its future. There's no doubt that the Chinese government want their country to rise to a indisputable superpower. Before COVID, the country has seen an annual economic increases of over 10%, its land mass is incredibly large, its manufacturing, agricultural, technology and electronics sectors are extremely competitive and influential on the global stage. Furthermore, China plays significant roles in global and geopolitical tasks to bolster its affluence and dominance. To understand why China is aiming to become the most powerful nation in the world, we have to know its goals and history.

It isn't difficult to see why they are raising the bar. In the past, the Chinese have maintained and controlled key trade routes to many empires across Asia. In fact, many of these foreign bodies became Chinese tributary states. The Emperors of the vast empire saw themselves at the center of the world. Hence, there was no need to guard against foreign infiltrators or learn from them. This thought process would become their undoing. After China lost the Opium War against the cunning and shrewd British in 1842, it didn't take long for China to be divided into sub colonies by ambitious European powers. The foundation of China's breakup was the linear and one-sided treaty system that China was forced to adhere to. They had no choice. Due to racist, ignorant, and disparaging goals of the West, the Chinese lost its sovereignty, independence, cultural identity and right to self-govern. They became peasants within their own country.

In the years that followed, China sought to break free from one humiliation after another. The Taiping and Boxer Rebellion was an impulsive and desperate attempt by many Chinese to win back their rights and push away the meddlesome occupiers of their lands. Due to lackluster organization, internal strife and subpar weaponry in comparison to Western powers at the time, these rebellions failed and worsened China's state. In the end, the only solution for them was to follow suit and westernize. If you can't beat them, join them. The fall of the Manchus and rise of the Republic of China under Sun Yat-sen was the first phase. The next one was the rule of Chiang kai-chek of the Chinese Nationalist Party. It didn't matter what kind of government took control of the country. I believe each leader had one important task in mind: to somehow wrestle themselves from the indignities of Western influence. You have to beat them at their own game. Westernize, modernize and eventually pull yourself free and be victorious.

But there was a big problem. Another Asian power had done a fabulous job in abandoning their traditions and culture and joining the ranks of Western prestige and might. Japan under Emperor Meiji had done the unthinkable: rise to an intimidating great power with dominating military, navy, and air force departments within several decades. It was an incredible feat. After their victory against Russia in the Russo-Japanese War 1904-05, many historians consider Japan's ascension to power to be complete. They could now dance the tango with any formidable adversary.

Like all other Western powers, Japan adopted a ruthless imperialist doctrine to feed its economic war engine. To do this, they turned to Pacific Islands and, of course, most notably, Manchuria, which was Chinese. In fact, the Japanese became the Asian great power that China once was, something that revolted the Chinese to a massive extent. The Japanese controlled parts of modern day Russia, all of Korea, regions of Indochina and archipelagos all over the South Pacific. At the time, China under the Nationalists was no match for the Japanese and their conquests for continental domination. Chiang kai-shek had to make peace with his political arch-nemesis, Mao Zedong, and join forces with him and his army to fight the invading Japanese forces. What the Japanese war engine did to China will always be burned into collective memory thanks to the CCP. Propaganda and nationalism made Japan one of the most lethal threats many Chinese have seen in their lifetime and without fault. The Rape of Nanjing in 1937 is one of the worst human atrocities and acts of genocide in modern history and the CCP will make damn sure the Chinese state will never forget the crimes that were perpetrated against them by a foreign power. As Japan was ultimately dismantled by a unified front of Allied forces, China could begin its quest to push away any foreign influence within its borders. This meant an abrupt end to the Nationalist-Communist pact and the ambitious start to reclaim its rightful place in the sun. It was time for China to rise as quickly as Japan had done earlier in the late 19th Century and in the first half of the Twentieth Century.

There was still another problem to tackle. Chiang kai-chek had been cozy with western colonists for decades. He and his army weren't capable to neutralize them. On the other hand, Mao and the Chinese Communists, with the help of the Soviet Union, were able to defeat the Nationalists in the South in the years after the conclusion of the Second World War. They did this by grabbing a strong hold of rural China where Mao and the CCP had built a loyal following in the 1930s across the entire country (The Great March). By attaining control of the countryside, Mao realized he had what it took to strangle municipal and urban pockets to the point of asphyxiation. The retreat of the Chinese Nationalists in 1949 built the foundation of modern-day Taiwan where to this day, have developed differently as opposed to Communist China in the ensuing decades.

Thus, Mao was the only person in modern history to dispel foreign influence from within China effectively for good. But his rule over mainland China would become a disastrous nightmare for millions of Chinese in an attempt to catch up economically. The horrific Great Leap Forward in the 1950s and Cultural Revolution in the 1960s sank the country into utter chaos and disarray. Millions of Chinese died due to poorly executed economic plans and demands from the top government to do what they thought was right. Agricultural output was neglected by building subpar furnaces to make steel. The Chinese government wanted farmers and others to build them in their backyards to outpace the Americans and the West in the production of iron and steel. Without education and knowledge, this disastrous plan caused a devastating famine that wiped out countless people all over the country. In the 1960s, post-secondary institutions were ruined and dissolved by the CCP due to fears of a student movement that could muster enough support and power to overthrow the Communist Party in Beijing. Yet Mao remained in power due to his brutal dictatorship and tyranny. Movement was quashed, people were rounded up and killed because of their dissent towards Mao's rule. The only way for him to be toppled was his death in 1976.

I strongly believe that the roots of modern China comes from Mao's successor: Deng Xiaoping. With a well-though of strategy, he carefully implemented precise reforms to expand the Chinese economy without eroding his firm control as Chairman. The best example of this was the Tiananmen Square Protests and subsequent massacre in 1989 that made headlines around the world. It was proof that Deng was only interested in reforming key areas in China for the grand benefit of his country. He knew it would've been dangerous to allow sweeping reforms that could topple his regime and give the people more power like what happened to the Soviet Union under Gorbachev between 1985 and 1992. Under Deng's rule, China began to prosper economically while the CCP remained at the top of the agenda.

Today, China is seen as a forerunner in many aspects. They have an incredible stake in world trade with shipping, raw materials and resources, manufacturing, textiles, banking and finance, military arms, agriculture, electronics and IT. The fact that China has a stockpile of nuclear arms and one of the largest standing armies in the world helps the country remain near the top of the list.

It is interesting to note that China is the only major country to highlight a growth in their economy during the COVID outbreak whereas others have seen a noticeable deficit. To me, it is clear how China achieved this. Although the CCP is known for their human rights violations and tight grip on the Chinese population, they had stiff control on restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading. Over time, the impact of the strain diminished and people were allowed to emerge from isolation. The CCP has also pumped money into key industrial sectors to keep the economy afloat. Products need to be manufactured and shipped in order for the industry to remain balanced. By doing this, millions of workers in this sector kept their jobs and continued working. As the situation improved gradually, more and more people returned with money in their pockets. Now, the country can move forward with a good strategy of recovery.

In the last couple of decades, China has been consolidating its influence in many parts of the world. They have invested heavily in Africa, the Middle East, Asia and much of the Western world including the European Union, Australia and North- and South America. Many of its technologies and infrastructure can be found in these countries. In Western Canada for instance, the Chinese owns many mines and other large businesses in major industries. In Canada and the USA, many Chinese immigrants own lots of real estate as well. With this in mind, the Chinese government was able to turn the table against the West. Now we feel Chinese power within the West much like the opposite where China was dominated by outside influence a century ago. We wear clothes from China, and use electronics and a vast myriad of every-day necessities from China. Their developments in IT-Tech, electronics, computers, infrastructure, finance and military might are absolutely astonishing. They are putting all their money and cards on innovation that will prevail and is transforming the state into an incredible entity of gargantuan proportions. It's safe to say that they have taken over and they will continue to do so in their mission to become the next global superpower.