A Passage to China (走近中国) - New China

The People’s Republic of China

The people’s Republic of China was established in 1949, marking the beginning of Contemporary Period in the Chinese history. From September 21 to 30, 1949, the First Meeting of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) was held in Beijing, with the participation of various political parties, popular organizations, non-Party democrats and representative from all walks of life. The CPPCC drew up a Common People’s Government Administration Council and concurrently Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On October 1, 1949, 300,000 people gathered at Tiananmen Square to celebrate the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Chairman Mao Zedong announced from Tiananmen Gate: “The People’s Republic of China is now officially founded and the Chinese people have since stood up”, solemnly proclaiming the formal establishment of the People’s Republic of China. A grand ceremony inaugurating the People’s Republic of China was witnessed by 300,000 people in Tiananmen Square that day.
The early days of New China were a period of economic recovery. While developing production, China gradually established socialist public ownership of the means of production. The years from 1953 to 1956 witnessed a large-scale socialist transformation of the national economy. The first Five-Year Plan (1953 --1957) for the development of the national economy was achieved ahead of scheduled and China established and expanded basic industries necessary for full industrialization, such as producing airplanes, automobiles, heavy machinery, precision machinery, power-generating equipment, high-grade alloy steels and non-ferrous metals.

The 10 years from 1957 to the beginning of the “Cultural Revolution” in 1966 was the period in which China started large-scale socialist construction. The nation’s total industrial fixed assets quadrupled between 1956 and 1966, and the national income increased by 58 percent in terms of constant prices. The output of essential industrial products increased several-fold, even over tenfold. A group of developing industries were founded, and large-scale agricultural capital construction and technological transformation unfolded on a large scale. Both the number of tractors used in agriculture and the volume of chemical fertilizer increased by more than 600 percent. The 12-year Plan for Scientific and Technological Development (1956-1967) was completed five years ahead of schedule. Outstanding achievements were recorded in many new fields of science and technology.
With the establishment and sovereignty, and with the above-mentioned achievements, laying the groundwork for later economic development, China experienced the economic development severely. But since 1978, the open-door policy was pursued under Deng Xiaoping with economic restructuring. The transformation was revolutionary in nature and significant for today’s success. Beginning in late 1978, the Chinese leadership has been moving the economy from a centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economy. To this end the authorities have switched to a system of household responsibility in agriculture in place of old collectivization, empowered the local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety operations, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978. Agricultural output doubled in the 1980s, and industry also posted major gains, especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong, opposite Taiwan, and along the coastline, where foreign investment helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. In late 1993 China’s leadership pursued additional long-term reforms, aiming at giving still more play to market-oriented enterprises and at strengthening the macro-control over the financial system. Inflation dropped sharply from 1995 to 1999, reflecting tighter monetary policies and stronger measures to control food prices. At the same time, the government struggled measures to control food prices. At the same time, the government struggled to collect revenues due from provinces, businesses, and individuals; reduce corruption and other economic crimes; and keep afloat the lager state-owned enterprises, many of which had not participated in the vigorous expansion of the economy. State enterprises still hold dominate position in key industries in what is now termed “a socialist market economy”, and private businesses have mushroomed.
Profound changes have come about in China since the country embarked on the policy of reform and opening-up. The output quadrupled in the last 20 years and China with its 1.26 billion people now ranks sixth in the world with its fast-growing GDP. The situation in the country is the best ever, characterized by a swiftly and vigorously advancing economy and markedly improved living standard. Hu Jintao, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee and president of the state, is leading China’s new leaders to uphold and carry on the policy of reform and opening-up initiated by Deng Xiaoping, and as a result, China enjoys a stable political situation, burgeoning economy and active diplomacy, winning the support of the people. With the 2008 Olympic Games and 2010 Would Expo to be held in China, and with their significance to the economic development and social progress, China will surely play a more positive role in the world affairs.

For convenience sake, here is an outlined table of China’s history for your reference:

• The Xia Dynasty (approximately the 21st century BC – the 17th century BC)
• The Shang Dynasty (approximately the 17th century BC – the 11th century BC)
• The Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC – 256 BC)
• Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC – 771 BC)
• Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 BC – 256 BC)
• The Spring & Autumn Period (770BC – 476 BC)
• The Warring States Period (475 BC – 221BC)
• The Qin Dynasty (221BC –220 AD)
• The Han Dynasty (206BC –220AD)
• Three Kingdoms (220 –280)
• The Jin Dynasty (265 – 420)
• Southern and Northern Dynasty (420 –589)
• The Sui Dynasty (581 – 618)
• The Tang Dynasty (618 – 907)
• The Song Dynasty (960 –1279)
• The Yuan Dynasty (1206 – 1368)
• The Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644)
• The Qing Dynasty (1616 – 1911)
• The Republic of China (1912 –1949)
• The People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949.

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