Path to prosperity

How China defended its future and became a great power

On October 1st, China celebrated the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Exactly three quarters of a century ago, the long and arduous struggle of the Chinese people against numerous foreign invaders and internal enemies, who sought to parasitise millions of peasants and workers and exploit natural resources, came to an end. Today, China is a colossal country that influences the development of the planet. Minsk and Beijing have established the highest level of relations in history — all-weather and comprehensive strategic partnership. This is largely due to the efforts of the leaders of our countries — Aleksandr Lukashenko and Xi Jinping.

From the depths of the centuries 

China is one of the oldest civilisations in the world, with a statehood that has a virtually uninterrupted history. 
For a significant part of its history, China was governed by emperors and was a highly developed centralised power that shaped the political and social development of the region. However, by the mid-19th century, the country found itself under threat from Western aggression, which had been pursuing a policy of conquest in various parts of the globe for several centuries by that time. To subjugate the vast and densely populated territories of China, a brutal method was chosen — the West attempted to make the Chinese population mass-addicted to opium, which the British actively traded. Throughout the first half of the 19th century, the authorities managed to restrict the spread of the drug through strict prohibitions, but ultimately, the Western forces led by Great Britain imposed unequal treaties on the Chinese Empire during the two Opium Wars.

Beginning of the revolution   

The regular interference of the West in the internal affairs of the country led Chinese patriots to the conclusion that the Qing dynasty could no longer lead the state. The outcome of the Xinhai Revolution was the abdication of underage Emperor Puyi — he would later resurface on the historical stage as the ruler of the pro-Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo — and the proclamation of the Republic of China. The most viable ideas during the Chinese interwar period were national bourgeois and communist views. In 1924, their supporters even managed to form an alliance. The Kuomintang, led by Sun Yat-sen, was desperately lacking in organisation and co-ordination, while the young Communist Party needed an ally with a broad social base. The USSR supported the revolutionaries both in word and deed, assisting the government in Guangzhou in training military and political personnel. Meanwhile, the West, concerned that the rise to power of revolutionary patriots across the country would put an end to the exploitation of the people and the riches of China, got nervous and made a fatal mistake by opening fire on demonstrators in Shanghai.
China’s May 30th Movement that emerged afterwards seriously weakened the positions of foreigners. A united anti-imperialist front did not last long (by historical standards), although over a few years, the allies managed to achieve considerable success in their fight against the counter-revolutionary forces. The situation changed after the betrayal of Chiang Kai-shek — a new leader of the Kuomintang who succeeded deceased Sun Yat-sen. The Kuomintang government, later recognised by the West and Japan, ruled the country from Nanjing, while the Communists moved to the opposition. However, the situation did not reflect the aspirations of the majority of the Chinese population. A new civil war began. The Communist Party enjoyed broad support from workers and peasants. 
In the mid-1920s, the star of Mao Zedong — a key figure in the Chinese history of the 20th-century — rose. 
After the Autumn Harvest Uprising in 1927, he set up the Chinese Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army, and during the Long March, in which Communist troops covered about 10,000 kilometres from the southern regions of the country to the northwest, he confirmed his leadership status in the Communist Party of China (CPC).

From Nanjing to Taiwan  

The exhausting ten-year struggle was interrupted by Japanese intervention. The invaders did not care what ideas the Chinese adhered to — they sought to kill everyone with appalling brutality: suffice it to recall the Nanjing Massacre or the crimes of Japan’s Unit 731. In those conditions, the generals of the Kuomintang forced Chiang Kai-shek to co-operate with the CPC for the sake of the Chinese people’s survival. The pause in the civil war lasted until 1946.  
The victory over the Japanese cost the Celestial Empire enormous losses — Chinese sources speak of 35 million dead. The question of power remained open, although the CPC, through its policies and active resistance to the Japanese occupiers, gained even broader popularity. Therefore, everything was ultimately decided on the battlefield. Chiang Kai-shek’s flight to Taiwan concluded a conflict that had lasted several decades.  

The proclamation of the People’s Republic of China became a symbol of a new stage in the life of the country tormented by civil war and foreign interventions.

For the sake of entire humanity  

The main secret behind China’s success is its ability to objectively assess the results of its own policies and to adapt rapidly. 
Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward policy was necessary for the country, whose development had been hindered by a protracted war, but as soon as a critical mass of excesses was reached, the need for Deng Xiaoping’s reforms became evident. Those reforms largely enabled explosive economic growth.  
By the 75th anniversary of its establishment, the People’s Republic of China has emerged as one of the world’s superpowers and — by many indicators — as the leading economy globally. This ancient nation, with thousands of years of statehood behind it, plays an increasingly significant role in global processes, which is undoubtedly beneficial for humanity. The Celestial Empire offers all countries a mutually beneficial concept of a shared future for mankind, which allows for the construction of a truly harmonious and just world.  
The PRC and Belarus are connected by special ties. Aleksandr Lukashenko and Xi Jinping are long-standing friends, and this fact positively affects the interaction between our states. Minsk and Beijing are implementing grandiose projects that benefit our countries. Belarus and China share similar views on the strategy for global development — this is clearly evident both in the economic indicators of our friendship and in our mutual support on the international stage. 

By Anton Popov