Rise of Modern China

• China and Japan are part of East Asia.
• People’s Republic of China, which was established in 1949.
• Fourth largest country in the world, border with 14 nations in Asia.
• China during Manchu rule became weak. Quasi colony of the western powers.
• China called the Europeans as "Red Barbarians"
• China imposed many restrictions on European traders. Co-hong (security merchants) was the institution that controlled the European trade.
• English merchants introduced opium to the Chinese traders. Opium-eating became a national vice.
• Action of Commissioner Lin Tse hsu led to First Opium War (1839-1842) in which England defeated China, end with Treaty of Nanking.
• 1856 the Second Opium War, Britain, France, USA and Russia fought against China - Treaty of Tientsin in 1860.
• The failure of Manchu dynasty led to the Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) in China, led by Hung Hsiu-chüan.
• Rebellion was crushed. China was controlled by queen Tzu hsi from 1860 to 1908 till her death.
• Tzu hsi’s reactionary rule led to revolutionary movements in China.
• 1894-1895 a war broke out between China and Japan to control of Korea - First Sino-Japanese War.
• China was defeated, led to a Chinese revolt known as the Boxer Rebellion against the foreign domination of China, suppressed with the help of the western countries.
• Intellectual emerged, . Dr. Sun Yat Sen, known as the “Morning Star” of China
• Mobilized young revolutionaries and started the 1911 Revolution in China, ended the Manchu rule in China.
• New flag, new calendar were adopted, China for the first time became a republic. Yuan Shih Kai became the President of the Chinese Republic.
• First World War, Japan captured the Shantung Province from China.
• After war, allied countries gave Shantung to Japan. Immediately, the May Fourth Movement started in China.
• Dr. Sun Yat Senstarted the Kuomintang Party, with Russia help reform in China.
• Chinese Communist Party of China was started, Mao Tse Tung and Chou–en-lai were the original founding members.
• 1924 Dr. Sun Yat Sen passed away, leadership by Chiang Kai Shek. Understanding between the Kuomintang and the Communists, both became rivals.
• Chiang wanted to exterminate Mao’s Communist Party, Mao retired to northern China known as Long March.
• Communists established their control, 1945 a civil war broke out between the Communists and the Kuomintang.
• Mao established the People’s Republic of China in October 1949. Chinag Kai Shek fled to Taiwan, which is known as Nationalist China.
• Nationalist China became a member of the UNO until 1971.
• Peoples Republic of China was admitted as a member in the UNO only in 1971.
• Great Leap Forward - economic reform of Mao.
• 1966, Mao launched the Cultural Revolution.
• After Mao’s death in 1976, Gang of Four were arrested.
• Deng Xiaoping quickly captured power from Mao’s successor Hua Guofeng.
• China moved from a planned economy to a mixed economy & joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.