Debunking Myths of China – Page 5 – A project of the Furman University First Year Seminar taught by Dr. Tami Blumenfield

Chinese Organic Farming: Introduction

kcrosby2 / April 4, 2014May 6, 2015 / Environment, Food

By Katherine Crosby, Nick Shaw, and Ashley Cookey-Gam

China has practiced traditional agriculture for centuries, feeding over twenty-two percent of the world’s population with only seven percent of the world’s arable land. However, China’s traditional agriculture is unsustainable.

These are Chinese Tea Workers on a traditional tea farm in China.

“Scenes of China” by Cory M. Grenier is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

No changes were made to this image.

The Chinese have overused chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides with a negative impact on the environment, including contamination of water and erosion of soil. “…[T]he government reported 43 percent of state-monitored rivers are so polluted, they’re unsuitable for human contact.” (Wan 2010)

In the early 1980’s, the Chinese government began promoting Chinese Ecological Agriculture, which emphasized crop rotations, organic fertilizers, and limited use of pesticides and herbicides. China’s Ministry of Agriculture began certifying “green food” as “A” or “AA” for domestic consumption. In 1994, the China Organic Food Development Centre began certifying organic food. The first exported organic food was green tea. (Sanders 2006: 215-216)

Here are some people growing organic plants by a body of water in Shanghai.

“Shanghai Organics” by kafka4prez is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

No changes were made to this image.

Today, organic farming is a trend, popular with young urban professionals who are reversing the massive urban migration and returning to the countryside to become organic farmers, despite facing difficulties. [Link: Difficulties of Organic Farming] Chen Shuaijun, a young banker, and his wife have rented eight acres on Chongming Island. Chen’s neighbors ridiculed him, and his parents, who had labored as farmers, were angry. Not using pesticides or fertilizers has meant that he has had to catch insects by hand, endure endless hours of weeding, and haul foul-smelling organic fertilizers. His neighbor, Han Guojie, gave up a high-paying job as a water quality engineer to become an organic farmer because he believes the traditional farmers have destroyed the land. (Wan 2010) In Sichuan province, Luo Yu, a former stockbroker who earned several thousand U.S. dollars per month, owns an organic farm. He hangs plastic water bottles filled with sugar water to catch insects. His parents told him he was going back to ancient times, but he is committed to improving the ecosystem and growing safe food. (Luo 2008) [Link: Food Safety]

Over fifty different products are grown organically in China today. These include “potatoes, rice, maize, wheat, tea, beans, herbal medicines, vegetables, sesame, honey, eggs, and peanuts.” (Sanders 2006:216)

This is an organic spiky cucumber grown on an organic farm outside Beijing.

“Chinese Farming” by IvanWalsh.com is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Domestic sales have increased as organic food has become popular with the young affluent urban professionals, although the majority of the Chinese cannot afford it. Organic exports have also increased and totaled $350 million in 2005. China has 5.7 million acres of certified organic farmland, ranking only behind Australia and Argentina. (Liu 2007)

Bibilography in Footnote Format

Juliana Liu, “Organic Farming Grips China,” BBC news release, October 4, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7012056.stm.

Yu Luo, interview by Melissa Block, National Public Radio, broadcast audio, April 4, 2008, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=90448284.

Richard Sanders, “A Market Road to Sustainable Agriculture? Ecological Agriculture, Green Food and Organic Agriculture in China,” In China’s Limits to Growth: Greening State and Society, ed. Peter Ho and Eduard B. Vermeer (Maiden: Blackwell, 2006), 215–216.

William Wan, “Young Chinese Farmers Sowing Seeds for Organic Revolution,” The Washington Post, November 1, 2010, accessed March 29, 2014, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/01/AR2010110106322_pf.html.

Adoption in China: Personal Adoption Stories

cmcneela / April 4, 2014May 6, 2015 / Adoption

By Cat McNeela and G. Tate

In 1979, Deng Xiaoping and his economic reformers introduced the “One-Child Policy” as a temporary measure. Thirty-five years later, the Communist party still clings to this policy (Jian). Not only has this affected the Chinese population, but in the United States it has affected the adopted children and their families.

“Chinese girl with her Mother” by Catherine McNeela

Filmmaker, Linda Goldstein Knowlton of “Somewhere Between” interviewed four adopted Chinese teens who share their inner convictions about how they dwell on somewhere between cultures. Each teen cogently shared subtle thoughts and emotions about her path from China to the United States. This movie exemplifies how the girls are products of China’s “One-Child Policy”, and how there are social pressures that fueled parents’ quest for sons. Also, the movie dives into the psychology of being an immigrant in the American society. When the movie was released in 2011, Knowlton notes that of 127,500 adoptees from China, 80,000 lived in the United States when the film was produced.

“Chinese girls in orphanage” by Catherine McNeela

The stories are rather painful, yet shared with a sense of somber acceptance. When they were young children in China, each girl was left behind in a depressing way. One girl was taken on a bus ride and told to wait for her cousin who never appeared. Another was left by her mother in a neighboring village; when her father went to look for her, she was already lost. During the film, they would show clips of birthday parties, and because they were abandoned, they did not know their real birthdays.

“Chinese girls playing” by Catherine McNeela

As transracial adoptees in white communities, the girls have felt that they never fully blended in. Throughout the movie, each girl called herself a “banana”—meaning yellow on the outside, white on the inside. Later, one of the girls refines this and says, “we are more like scrambled eggs”–the white and yellow mixed up.

“Chinese girl in her crib at orphanage” by Catherine McNeela

At one point, they each ached to know more about the “why” questions of their lives. For example, why were they in an orphanage, why were they adopted, or what became of their birth families? The term “abandoned” was used frequently, which escalated varying emotions. Whenever insecurities or pain surfaced in their voices, it centered on questions of their origin.

Knowlton, Linda. Somewhere Between. DVD. 2011

More Information at One Child Policy and Gender and Adoption

China Myths According to Evan Osnos

Tami Blumenfield / December 4, 2012May 6, 2015 / Politics

Just like Furman University’s First Year Seminar classes, Evan Osnos has been working on his list of myths about China. See his New Yorker article for details. Do you agree with his assessments?

The Ten-Year Long Nightmare: The Cultural Revolution

yhu / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Cultural Revolution

By A. Nichols

On March 15^th 2012, when Xinhua released the news that the political superstar, Party chief of Chongqing Bo Xilai was replaced by Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, many people felt relieved. He was believed to be one of the most radical Maoist members in the Political Bureau, and his political moves in Chongqing indicated the resurgence of the Neo-Cultural Revolution. Chinese people are afraid of any signs of the Cultural Revolution in the 21^st century because of what they learned from the ten-year long Cultural Revolution under Mao’s iron fist.

All classes of people suffered during the Cultural Revolution, including the Red Guards who almost took control of China’s cities from 1966 through 1968. The Red Guards were formed under Mao’s order and dismissed for the same reason. They were mainly teenagers who came from high schools and colleges, because the government abolished the higher education system, the Red Guards became the only occupation available to them. Schools became their battlefield: they humiliated their teachers, assaulted the “Five Black Categories”, smashed the “Four Olds”, and many innocent people lost their lives. The casualties also included many Red Guards who died in the “violence struggles” with other Red Guard “gangs”. After 1968, again, under Mao’s order, many of those young Red Guards turned into Rusticated Youth of China and went to the countryside to help build infrastructure and agriculture system. Far away from Beijing and other big cities, they were forced to stay in the countryside once they were married to the locals. Peasants and soldiers,who had highest social classes according to Mao, turned against these Rusticated Youths. They were used as laborers and many girls were raped by the officials. The trauma caused by this movement remained in their minds forever.

People Demonstrating Their Love Toward Mao Zedong, Photo By Yohei Yamashita

Ordinary people did not have a good time during the Cultural Revolution either. The unfortunate ones, who had connections with Taiwan or the United States, were likely to go to Struggle Meetings in their work units. These usually lasted for five hours daily according to Nian Cheng’s experiences. Some of them would go to prison, and others committed suicide in order to let their relatives survive. Cheng’s grandparents’ monthly salary remained at 105 yuan for ten years, but the price for livestock kept climbing. But it is still better than most of the families who lost their beloved during this nightmare.

Street view during the Cultural Revolution photo by Yohei Yamashita

There were some high level Communist officials who didn’t escape from the terror of the Cultural Revolution, either. President Liu Shaoqi and Vice President He Long died in prison just because they had some opposite political views with Mao Zedong. Mao’s bootlickers, including the Gang of Four, used this opportunity to gain their political capital, while others like Zhou Enlai and Chen Boda were tried their best to save historical relics from the Red Guards’ destructions.

There are reasons why people are afraid of another Cultural Revolution, because the only ones who will gain benefits from the disaster are Opportunists while other people suffer. May this day never come.

The Rise of China During the Soviet Demise

akaonga / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Assessing China's History, Cultural Revolution, Economics, Politics

By A. Nichols

In the 1900’s, the USSR’s GDP was higher than that of China. Today, however, it is China’s GDP which is higher. The swap was due to a multitude of reasons including better reform decisions and work culture in China than in the USSR. Furthermore, the USSR used prisoners of war as mass laborers, who did shabby work because they resented it. China’s mass laborers (who were Chinese), on the other hand, felt obliged to work for their motherland, and thus did better work.

Photo of Sputnik, the first satellite in space. By Cliff1066

The Soviet Union spent a huge proportion of its GDP on the military, reducing funding to other sectors of the economy. This reduced economic growth. China comparatively spent a small proportion of its GDP on its military. China, therefore, had enough left to spend on other economic activities, thus burgeoning economic growth. In the 1970’s, China allowed some level of capitalism in its economy and individuals set up companies, thereby expanding growth. The USSR didn’t allow any individual to establish a company, and so did not get the benefit that comes from an increase in companies: higher revenue. Also, the abundance of cheap labor in China attracted foreign investment, further expanding job creation and growth. Russia at that time lacked, and still lacks, abundant cheap labor. This discouraged foreign investment, leaving investment largely to the sole local investor, the state.

When both countries reformed in the 1980’s, China opened up to general ideas from the West about economic reform, and these copious ideas led to a greater understanding of how the economy works. China then used these to properly rearrange its economy in a way that has now made the country prosperous.

Chengdu, China. Photo by jdklub.

Russia, on the other hand, believing that the West had nothing to teach them, utterly rejected reform ideas from the West, thus, limiting the reform options that the Soviets could have had. This led to poor reform decisions, which consequently led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union also dismissed globalization, equating it to Americanization. This meant that Russia did not get the benefit of trade, more income. China, on the other hand, opened up to globalization, exporting numerous goods, and is now enjoying a high rate of growth due to the exports.

A human rights protest. Photo by hunxue-er.

However, China might collapse just like the Soviet Union did. Many Chinese citizens now resent their government for its repression, brutality, and high corruption. If these vices of the government accelerate, people could revolt. A specific example would be the repression of the Tibetans, and the Uyghurs in Xinjiang province. Just like the Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukraine started to demand secession from the Union, residents of Tibet and Xinjiang are also demanding secession from China. Simply put, despite China having achieved more than the Soviet Union, it could end up disintegrating just like it.

Beyond the Taste of Chinese Food

rwang2 / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Food

By Ruowei Wang

Although Chinese cuisine is one of the most influential cuisines in the world, it doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. This passage will analyze the long-lasting misunderstandings preventing Chinese cuisine from being accepted by foreigners.

The prejudice against Chinese food starts with saying that “the Chinese eat everything”.
From cookbooks, travelogues, and local restaurant interpretations of classic dishes, people only get a glimpse of China’s exotic cuisine. Usually, these people assume that what they hear, taste, and read about represent authentic Chinese food.
We need to point out that in travelogues, authors try to compete for the most nauseating, exotic, and unbelievable eating experiences. It is a popular sport among tourists and anthropologists alike.

Foreigners are shocked to learn that Chinese consume insects. But why on earth aren’t insects a good food choice? This perception is actually based on our food ideologies. We think insects are loathsome; it’s nauseating just look at them. But aren’t snails repulsive and nauseating? They excrete fluid from its slimy body. Still, people around world think escargot is delicious, regarding it as the pinnacle of French cuisine.

The deep-rooted prejudice against China makes us think that it’s unbelievable to consume insects. But according to chemical analysis, insects are a great source of protein, consumed by people worldwide. Without too much fat, but as a great source of protein, we might even consider it a solution to obesity.

Most people can’t appreciate eating insects partly because of their lack of childhood memories with insects as food. Food triggers both physiological and psychological memories. For most Chinese, their childhood memories are associated with capturing and scorching cicadas on the fire. Immersed in their memories, Chinese don’t considerate eating insects as horrible as foreigners consider it. Inevitably, food habits cultivated early in life lead people to view exotic food culture as being wrong, irrational, or misguided. In 2011, CNN named “notorious” Chinese preserved eggs as the most revolting food in the world. Indeed, it’s a matter of cultural difference; in China, the preserved eggs are the main ingredients put into a popular homemade food: Minced Pork Congee with Preserved Egg.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboppy/5318524113/

Chinese people are reminded of cozy homes and warm motherly smiles whenever preserved eggs are mentioned. As a corollary, they are like the epitome of happiness, rather than the “eyeballs of some nightmarish monster leering up” as Fuchsia Dunlop calls them. Besides, the snowflake patterns inside the translucent layer of preserved eggs are highly praised by Chinese.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lazydoll/2697476007/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oliverlaumann/5525913833/

Another important misunderstanding that is prevalent among outsiders is the texture of Chinese food. The rubber-like texture is the last barrier for foreigners to cross over. Although sea cucumber is the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine, foreigners doubt its edibility, because Western gastronomy is deprived of words to describe “gristly, slithery, slimy, squelchy, crunchy, gloopy” (such characteristics found in sea cucumber) in a good way. These words “evoke disturbing thoughts of bodily emissions, used handkerchiefs, abattoirs, squashed amphibians.” In traditional Chinese literature, however, sea cucumber is consumed by aristocrats, representing opulence and superiority. Without cultural background knowledge, what is in the dish is nothing more than rubber in the foreigners’ perspective; however, it is superiority and high social status in Chinese’ eyes.

The High Socialist Period

khammett / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Assessing China's History, Cultural Revolution, Politics

By A. Nichols

Socialist Revolution — http://www.rationalrevolution.net/images/maopla51.jpg

When first introduced to China at the end of the 1940’s, socialism seemed like a good idea.[1] During the first decade of the revolution, beneficial reforms were made on behalf of the working class in China. In the wake of these reforms came a reign of terror and death that claimed the lives of millions. In hindsight we must ask ourselves if the High Socialist Period in China ultimately benefited the country.

During the early years of the Mao Zedong’s leadership, beneficial reforms were made in the areas of new marriage laws and land redistribution. In China women were treated little better than servants. Recognizing that women were a key part of his revolutionary society, Mao Zedong “outlawed arranged marriages.”[2]

Mao Zedong also instituted land reforms that greatly benefited the Chinese people. In the early 1950’s, rural land reforms were achieved by passing rent reductions for farmers and workers, which allowed them to increase the productivity of their land.

Child of the Revolution — http://mikeely.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/expression-during-great-proletarian-cultural-revolutin-in-tibet.jpg

Many believed that the social reforms and changes Mao Zedong put in place would last and would ultimately benefit China. The myth of the new socialist order was finally exposed in 1956 and 1957 with the Anti-Rightist and Hundred Flowers movements.

During the Anti-Rightist campaign, large numbers of arrest warrants were distributed.[3] In the 1958, the Anhui province was given an arrest quota of 45,000 people. “Officials surpassed the quota with 101,000 arrests.”[4]

Following the Anti-Rightist movement came the Great Leap Forward. Ordered to produce enough iron to meet district’s quotas, communes would melt down all their kitchen and farm implements into useless lumps of iron. Communities also had grain quotas they had to meet for the Party. To gain favor, officials would exaggerate the quantity of grain their district produced. As a result, communities were left without food.

Drought, flooding, and exhausted resources led to a famine that ravaged China until 1962. At least twenty million died from starvation in what became known as the largest famine in history.

http://blstb.msn.com/i/58/DDB5C63AE123D0294BCF3B4AAA3E1E.jpg

No one can deny that during the first few years of the revolution progress was made in raising the quality of life for the men and women of the working class. However, Mao Zedong’s drive to create a Communist state led to a catastrophe in China, claiming the lives of over forty-five million people.[5] The implementation of Mao’s well-intentioned reforms resulted in the death of millions and brought untold suffering to the Chinese people.

[1] China: A Century of Revolution (Three Disc Set). DVD. Directed by Sue Williams. Toronto: Zeitgeist Films, 2007.

[2] Spence. The search for modern China, 376.

[3] Wasserstrom. China in the 21st century: what everyone needs to know.

[4] Michael Fathers. “A Most Secret Tragedy The Great Leap Forward aimed to make China an industrial giant—instead it killed 45 million.” Wall Street Journal (New York City), October 16, 2012, U.S. edition, sec. Life and Culture. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444180004578015170039623486.html?KEYWORDS=michael+father+great+leap+forward.

[5] Fathers. “A Most Secret Tragedy The Great Leap Forward aimed to make China an industrial giant—instead it killed 45 million.”

Religion in China under Communist Rule

cgreathouse / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Religion and Belief

By Cat McNeela

In his book Religion in China, Fenggang Yang points out that the Chinese “authorities understand religion on the basis of Marxist atheism: the essence of religion is the spiritual opium of the people, and its destiny is to wither away.” (Yang, Fenggang. Religion in China: Survival and Revival under Communist Rule. New York: Oxford UP, 2012. Print.) While this would point to a total blackout of religion, in order to understand the existence of religion in China, it becomes necessary to examine the history of religion following the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). During this Revolution, there was a “brutal attempt” to eradicate religion in China. However, it has obviously failed, at least in part. While religion is not as strong a presence as in the United States, a large portion of the population do practice martial arts, as these monks do.

However, that is not to say that religion has gone unchecked. One prime example of the success of the government to limit religion is the Falun Gong. This Qigong group was banned due to “religious overtones,” as stated in Yang’s book. The Falun Gong forced the government’s hand when they petitioned for status as a legal organization. Denounced as an “evil cult,” the Falun Gong were banned in China. However, this ban could not do anything about the millions of followers that the group had already accrued. This has been a trend throughout the Communist regime, with an attempt to eradicate religion being foiled by the enormous number of followers of the religion.

One possible reason for this is explored in Yang’s 2010 essay, Religion in China under Communism: A Shortage Economy Explanation. (Yang, Fenggang. “Religion In China Under Communism: A Shortage Economy Explanation.” Journal Of Church & State 52.1 (2010): 3-33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Nov. 2012.) Yang explores the idea that the reason that religion is so pervasive in the supposedly atheist Communist country is due to supply and demand. People want what they don’t have, and in Communist China that is religion for a vast number of people. This shortage economy principle can explain the huge resurgence of religion in China. The people, seeking to fill the void left by the ban on religion had one of three options, economically speaking: Wait for the shortage to be filled, substitute a similar alternative for the lacking object, or just keep the void. Many Chinese citizens settled for the atheism that was the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) goal. However, a large number of citizens did not accept this void, and instead found their own substitutes. Many used the CCP itself as this substitute, while others found alternative spiritualism. While these alternatives were effective, they did not last. Those who found alternative spiritualism transitioned easily back to their religions. Many temples that had been shut down during the Cultural Revolution were reopened. Today in China Christians and Buddhists rub shoulders with the stolid atheists of the CCP. The suppression has failed.

Picture 1: Photo by Suriya Thonawanik, found at http://www.fotopedia.com/items/defb6ljgvfeen-uedfdsUiNf8
Picture 2: Photo by William Murphey, found at http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-3741243211
Picture 4: Photo by Su–May, found at http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-6145088995

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The Falun Gong Movement

kdunbar / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Religion and Belief

By A. Nichols

To some in the western world, religious beliefs seem to be absent in Chinese culture. Despite the fact that the Chinese government perpetuates their image of corruption and immorality, the ordinary Chinese citizens have found spiritual meaning in other beliefs. The Falun Gong movement arose out of the Chinese people’s quest for meaning and stability in their lives in the midst of rapid social and economic change. Falun Gong, or “Law Wheel Cultivation” was created by Li Hongzhi in 1992. Falun Gong is a type of qigong which literally means “energy cultivation.” This energy cultivation is said to enhance supernatural powers, increasing wisdom and inner purity. The practice of Falun Gong includes spiritual meditations and four physical exercises: Buddha Stretching a Thousand Arms, Falun Gong Standing Stance, Coursing Between the Two Poles, and the Falun Cosmic Exercise. These four exercises would mix the energy of the body with the energy of the universe. Falun Gong is also comprised of moral teachings with an emphasis on Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance.

The popularity of Falun Gong grew from 1992 to 1999. The diverse group of members ranged from students to Communist Party officials. The Chinese government initially supported this idea of energy cultivation to improve the overall health of the Chinese population. The Chinese government’s corroboration with Falun Gong followers was surprising, considering the fact the the Communist party usually discouraged participations in voluntary organizations. This trust between the Communist Party and the Falun Gong practitioners was abruptly terminated on April 25th, 1999. Chinese newspapers implied that the Falun Gong was an evil cult. These accusations resulted in Falun Gong practitioners protesting in Beijing on April 25th. The Chinese government immediately began to assume that the Falun Gong practitioners had underlying motives. The Chinese communist party, plagued with fear and paranoia, assumed that this peaceful protest was a prerequisite for revolution. Li Hongzhi had emphasized that Falun Gong was an apolitical group; however, the Chinese communist party still banned the practice of Falun Gong.

In an effort to undermine the credibility of the Falun Gong movement, the Chinese government employed tactics to effectively crush the movement, including propaganda and brutal violence towards Falun Gong practitioners. Anyone who was found with Falun Gong paraphernalia was either jailed or tortured to denounce their beliefs. Torture usually took place in detention centers. There was also much controversy surrounding the self-immolations that took place in Tianenmen Square on January 21,2001. Five people, who were allegedly Falun Gong practitioners, perished in the flames to protest against the Chinese government. The survivors were interviewed by journalists. Some western journalists believed this tactic of leaving survivors was actually a ploy to convince other Chinese citizens and the outside world that Falun Gong did, in fact, cause people to go mad. The self immolations would be the evidence of this suggestion.

Despite the fact that the Chinese government greatly abused human rights against the Falun Gong practitioners, the communist party exhibited great resistance to external forces that were seen as potential threats to the stability of the communist regime. The Chinese government continually defended its tactic of torture by claiming that Falun Gong was a threat to social stability. The Falun Gong movement was a threat that had never actually materialized.

The Falun Gong practitioners clearly debunked the stereotype that Chinese people would blindly follow a government that would so blatantly violate their human rights.

http://www.merinews.com/newPhotoLanding.jsp?imageID=1189&offset=1

http://www.bible.ca/falun-gong-falun-dafa-zhuan-falun.htm

http://www.clearharmony.net/articles/200406/20295.html

What has China Done to Become an Economic Leader?

jgray2 / November 30, 2012May 6, 2015 / Economics

By A. Nichols

Today, China’s economy thrives with yearly exponential economic growth rates. However, the country has seen overwhelming amounts of economic turmoil in the past such as the demolition of private businesses and universities. In 1953, private universities were transformed into state universities, which the Chinese had modeled after the Soviet educational system. The government acted upon private businesses as well around the same year. Head officials of these businesses were slowly denounced in rank in order to give the government control of company operations. These actions gave a lot of economic power to the government.

With the rise of Mao Zedong, economic disaster was waiting to happen. One of Mao’s goals during his Great Leap Forward was to boost production agriculturally and in factories by a drastic percentage. Gregory C. Chow states in his book, China’s Economic Transformation, that Mao was no economist. In fact, he tackled his economic concerns the same way he tackled politics: with the support of China’s citizens. Throughout Mao’s rein, many suffered from starvation due to the heavy demands that Mao had for crop production.

In 1962, Liu Shaoqi rose to power. Under his rein, a majority of Mao’s policies and regulations were abolished and new goals were set. Gregory Chow describes these goals as the “four modernizations” which were to increase proficiency in industry, defense, agriculture, and technology.

In 1966, Mao returned with his Cultural Revolution. This movement caused destruction in the homes of elderly citizens that were infiltrated by the younger generation. Many universities closed their doors as a result of the hostility shown by the younger generation. This act made the education system completely dysfunctional. The Chinese economy could not flourish with all of the political chaos that occurred through a decade a of Mao’s rule until he died in 1976.

Deng Xiaoping rose to power after Mao’s death. Xiaoping, in 1979, opened diplomatic relations with the U.S. This was a big move for China as they began to show more diplomacy and recapture the “four modernizations” that were sought after under Liu Shaoqui’s rule.

Throughout the 1980’s China began to show strong economic growth. In 1982, yearly energy production began to increase above 9% per year. This large increase was a result of increased efforts in coal production, hydroelectric power, and intensive extraction of petroleum. With such cramped, fast-moving cities, the energy was needed for everything to function proficiently. Another improvement shown throughout the 1980’s was the growth in exports to other countries. This served as a huge economic booster for China.

China today is undergoing a lot of economic problems as a result of consistent growth in production. Though the growth continues, citizens are losing interest in the purchasing of goods. An article in The New York Times called “China Confronts Mounting Piles of Unsold Goods” talks about the massive overflow of goods in warehouses in China as a result of reduced spending by the citizens.

China is still well on its way to becoming the world’s top economy, but flaws in China’s system still exist that will hinder the growth of the economy. However, China has seen some of the worst economic disasters. Therefore, history teaches what not to do, leaving only improvement for the future.