China’s Economic Transformation
Evaluate China’s development as a country that rejected Western influence to the world’s second biggest economy.
China’s rise from a nation that once rejected Western influence to becoming the world’s second-largest economy is a story of economic reform, strategic modernization, and selective globalization. This transformation can be analyzed through historical resistance to Western influence, economic policies, industrial growth, and global integration.
1. Early Resistance to Western Influence
During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and into the early 20th century, China resisted Western intervention, emphasizing self-sufficiency and Confucian values (Fairbank & Goldman, 2006). The Opium Wars (1839–1860) and the Unequal Treaties forced China into economic subjugation, fueling anti-Western sentiment. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Mao Zedong pursued a self-reliant socialist model, cutting ties with Western markets (Meisner, 1999).
2. Economic Reform and the “Open Door” Policy
China’s economic transformation began in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping, who abandoned strict Maoist policies and introduced market-oriented reforms (Naughton, 2018). Key changes…
China’s rise from a nation that once rejected Western influence to becoming the world’s second-largest economy is a story of economic reform, strategic modernization, and selective globalization. This transformation can be analyzed through historical resistance to Western influence, economic policies, industrial growth, and global integration.
1. Early Resistance to Western Influence
During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and into the early 20th century, China resisted Western intervention, emphasizing self-sufficiency and Confucian values (Fairbank & Goldman, 2006). The Opium Wars (1839–1860) and the Unequal Treaties forced China into economic subjugation, fueling anti-Western sentiment. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, Mao Zedong pursued a self-reliant socialist model, cutting ties with Western markets (Meisner, 1999).
2. Economic Reform and the “Open Door” Policy
China’s economic transformation began in 1978 under Deng Xiaoping, who abandoned strict Maoist policies and introduced market-oriented reforms (Naughton, 2018). Key changes…
China’s rise from a nation that once rejected Western influence to becoming the world’s second-largest economy is a story of economic reform, strategic modernization, and selective globalization. This transformation can be analyzed through historical resistance to Western influence, economic policies, industrial growth, and global integration.
1. Early Resistance to Western Influence
During the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and into the early 20th century, China resisted Western intervention, emphasizing self-sufficiency and Confucian values (Fairbank & Goldman, 2006). The Opium Wars (1839–1860) and the Unequal Treaties forced China into economic subjugation, fueling anti-Western
