How China Was Lost To Communism

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How China Was Lost To Communism

More than one-fifth of the world’s total population lives within China’s borders. China gave birth to one of the world’s earliest civilizations and has a recorded history that dates from some 3500 years ago (CIA). Zhonghuo, the Chinese name for the country, means “central land,” a reference to the Chinese belief that their country was the geographical center of the earth and the only true civilization. By the 19th century China had become a politically and economically weak nation, dominated by foreign powers (Wilkinson).
China underwent many changes in the first half of the 20th century. The imperial government was overthrown, and in the chaotic years that followed, two groups-the Kuomintang (KMT) and the Communists-struggled for control of the country. In 1949 the Communists won control of China. The government of the Republic of China, led by the KMT, fled to Taiwan.
The accession of the Communist government in 1949 stands as one of the most important events in Chinese history; in a remarkably short period of time radical changes were effected in both the Chinese economy and society. Since the 1970s China has cast off its self-imposed isolation from the international community and has sought to modernize its economic structure.
Communism
To understand why China adopted communism, one must first get a clear understanding of this doctrine, and learn what its main emphasis and intentions are placed. Communism by definition, is a concept or system of society in which the major resources and means of production are owned by the community rather than by individuals (Gurley). In theory, such societies provide for equal sharing of all work, according to ability, and all benefits, according to need. Some conceptions of communist societies assume that, ultimately, coercive government would be unnecessary and therefore that such a society would be without rulers. Until the ultimate stages are...