Postwar China

Soon after the surrender of Japan in 1945, civil war resumed. The Soviet Union, which had invaded Japanese-held Manchuria in the last days of World War II, withdrew, leaving Manchuria to the Chinese Communists. Following evacuation of the Japanese, Nationalist troops with United States help moved into most areas of China. By the end of 1948, however, the Communists had gained control of most of north China.

Peiping fell in January, 1949, and the Communists made it their capital, restoring its name of Beijing. As the Communists drove south, Nanjing fell in April, and the Nationalists moved their government to Guangzhou. Shanghai fell in May. On October 1, 1949, the People's Republic of China was proclaimed by Mao Tse-tung. Guangzhou fell on October 15 and a short time later the Nationalists retreated to the island of Taiwan, where the Nationalist government was reestablished with Chiang as president.

During 1950, the Communists consolidated their conquest of the mainland. In October China seized Tibet. That same month China entered the Korean War by sending troops to the aid of North Korea, preventing victory by United Nations forces. Branded an aggressor, China's Communist government was not allowed to replace the Nationalist government in China's seat in the United Nations.

Meanwhile, reorganization of the Chinese economy and society was begun. Aid came from the Soviet Union, with which Mao Tse-tung had negotiated a treaty of alliance and assistance. The new government worked energetically to rebuild transportation networks and industry ravaged by years of war and substantial progress was made. Concurrently, private ownership of business was virtually eliminated. Large-scale land reform was carried out.

There was also increased regimentation of society. The press came under government control, dissent was prohibited, and public religious practices were restricted. In 1957 the government relaxed controls and welcomed free speech, but after a flood of unexpected criticism, controls were quickly reinstated.

Up to 1957, economic progress had been rapid. However, the Great Leap Forward a plan of forced collectivization of farms and development of heavy industry, initiated by Mao Tse-tung in 1958failed and set the economy back. Famine was widespread and millions perished.

China's relations with neighboring countries became increasingly strained during the 1960's. In 1962, in a border dispute with India, China invaded and occupied small sections of Indian territory.

Meanwhile, a rift had developed between China and the Soviet Union in the late 1950's over differences in Communist doctrine. In 1963, in talks between the two countries, China accused the Soviet Union of revisionism (revising Communist doctrine) for its policy of peaceful coexistence, which was incompatible, according to the Chinese, with the historic Communist aim of revolution and struggle against capitalism.

China vied with the Soviets in sending aid to North Vietnam, which was involved in the Vietnamese War throughout the 1960's. In 1964 China detonated an atomic bomb, becoming the world's fifth nuclear power.

In 1966 Mao set in motion the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to purge the Communist party of revisionists, and to make the Chinese more revolutionary in thought and deed. The revolution was spearheaded by youths called the Red Guards. Before order was restored in 1968, China was plunged to the brink of civil war.

Relations with the Soviets worsened. Boundary disputes led to skirmishes in early 1969. Later in the year high-level talks led to an end of the fighting, but China remained unfriendly toward the Soviets.

During the 1970's China orbited artificial satellites and developed a ballistic missile force. Meanwhile, the country was emerging from self-imposed diplomatic isolation. In 1971 it was admitted to the United Nations.

In 1976, both Chou En-lai, premier for 27 years, and Mao died. In a struggle for succession that followed, a moderate faction led by Deng Xiaoping won control. During the 1980's, Deng transformed Chinese society by loosening economic controls and encouraging private enterprise.

In 1979, China briefly invaded Vietnam to punish that country for invading China's ally, Cambodia, and overthrowing its government.

In the 1980's, China worked to supress nationalist dissent led by the Dalai Lama in Tibet. China also worked to cultivate better relations with its neighbors and the Western powers. Economic and cultural contacts were increased and foreign trade grew enormously, especially with Japan and the United States. In May, 1989, Deng met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and the two agreed to restore friendly relations between their countries.

Also in the spring of 1989, Chinese students, joined by workers, held a series of massive demonstrations in Beijing, in Tiananmen Square, demanding democratic reform. On June 4 the government sent in troops, killing an estimated 1,000 to 5,000 people according to television evidence. The government rejected these figures.

The government then attempted to eliminate all dissent and corruption. The result was thousands of executions. It also began to curtail the growth of private enterprise, but the economy began to stagnate and in 1992 Deng reversed that policy, allowing private enterprise to expand. By the late 1990's China had one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and the standard of living of many Chinese had risen dramatically. In 1997 Deng Xiaoping died. He was succeeded by Jiang Zemin.

In 1997 China gained control of Hong Kong, a former British colony, in accordance with a 1984 agreement with Great Britain. Following the transfer of power, Hong Kong officially became the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China. A legislature appointed by the Chinese government replaced the democratically elected legislative council established by the British. According to the terms of the agreement with Great Britain, Hong Kong's capitalist system will remain in effect for 50 years.

In 1998 summer floods killed over 3,600 people. The special administrative region of Macau was created in 1999 when Portugal turned its former colony over to China. In 2001 China entered the World Trade Organization. China launched its first manned spacecraft into earth orbit in 2003.

In August 2008, the Summer Olympic Games were held in Beijing. China completed a number of major construction projects to improve its services and facilities for the games, including the National Center for the Performing Arts, a massive performance hall; Terminal 3 at Beijing airport, the largest building in the world; and Beijing National Stadium, nicknamed "the Bird's Nest." The Olympics' opening and closing ceremonies, as well as many of its competitions, were held in the new stadium.