What Is China, Anyway? (V4)

Written by Frank Li

Do you really know China beyond American establishment’s contemporary concerns like Taiwan, Hong Kong, South China Sea, and Xinjiang (Uyghurs)?

Read this article to find out …

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Simply put, China is the greatest country in human history!

Two facts:

1. China has the longest continuous civilization in human history.
2. Throughout human history, great civilizations have come and gone, with one major exception: China – come, almost gone, and come again.

So, it is time for the world, especially my fellow Americans, to truly understand China.

1. A great civilization (3000 BC – 1820 AD)

China boasts to have 5,000 years of history (Chinese civilization). I will highlight it from four perspectives:

1. Chinese civilization vs. Western civilization.
2. Great inventions.
3. A great culture.
4. A great decline.

Let me elaborate on each …

1.1 Chinese civilization vs. Western civilization

Western civilization was primarily shaped by the Romans, building on top of Greek civilization. How does it compare with Chinese civilization?

Two highlights:

1. Ancient Greece: Ancient China was comparable in philosophy, but far better in governance. For more, read Ancient Greece vs. Ancient China.
2. Ancient Rome: China far outperformed Rome in almost every way. For more, read Ancient Rome vs. Ancient China and The Era of the Byzantine Empire vs. Ancient China.

The fortune of the West, especially when compared with China, rose sharply after 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the “new” world (Introduction to “History 2.0” (V3)).

1.2 Great inventions

One prominent symbol of China is the Great Wall. Most Americans can easily imagine the incredible feat of building it. For more, read The Great Wall and China.

Did you also know that China invented many things that fundamentally changed the world (List of Chinese inventions)?

Four big examples: Compass, Gunpowder, Papermaking, and Printing.

Can you imagine our life today without them?

1.3 A great culture

One prominent figure who primarily shaped China’s culture over the past 2,000 years is Confucius. For more, read Confucius on Governance.

One open secret behind Chinese civilization is one written language for the past 2,000 years. For more, read Civilizations: It’s the Written Languages, Stupid!

1.4 A great decline

China, together with India, had the largest economy in the world for most of the first 18 centuries of our two-millennium-old calendar. However, after 1492, Europe started expanding and ascending (again), while China basically stood still. Despite that, by 1820, China’s world share of GDP was still, according to Dambisa Moyo (How the west was lost), at an impressive 32.2%, while America’s was a paltry 1.8% and Europe’s was 26.6%.

2. China descended from heaven to hell (1821 – 1976)

According to Moyo,

If this wasn’t hell for China, what was?

Now, why did China fall so precipitously?

Two main reasons:

1. Foreign competition.
2. Self-destruction.

Let me briefly elaborate on each …

2.1 Foreign competition

The West developed both economically and militarily, while China stood still. In order to open China for “free trade”, the West waged wars against China and China lost them all, from the two Opium Wars with Britain, to the various territorial wars with Russia, and to the First Sino-Japanese War. For more, read China’s Century of Humiliation.

A poor country is a weak country, and vice versa.

2.2 Self-destruction

From 1821 to 1976, China had several revolutions, without achieving much change. She remained poor, and became even more impoverished after each and every revolution.

A lot of damage was done by communism under Mao Zedong (1949-1976). While Mao deserves the blame, he should still be credited for unifying China in 1949. Without unification, there would have been no People’s Republic of China, thus no comeback!

3. China’s comeback (1978 – Present)

Mao died in 1976. China changed from communism to “state capitalism”, thanks to one wise leader: Deng Xiaoping.

The image below offers one prominent example of China’s amazing transformation: Shanghai from an old city to a modern city.

The image below offers another example: Shenzhen from a fishing village to the “city of the future” (aka “China’s Silicon Valley”), because of its hi-tech “everything” (Why retailers everywhere should look to China).

4. China faces huge challenges ahead

Every success comes with a price. Here are two prices the Chinese are paying for their uncanny success:

1. Environmental pollution: China has become the world’s factory, with bad air and bad water. For more, read Environmental Pollution in China.
2. Aging population: Although the one-child policy ceased recently, the damage was done: China’s population will decline soon, with a severely aging population.

However, given what China went through over the past 200 years, these challenges are relatively minor. It is very likely that the Chinese will meet them over time. The key is constant improvement – keep making state capitalism better!

5. Discussion

Three key attributes behind China’s long-enduring civilization:

1. Governance.
2. The Chinese people.
3. Natural resources.

Let me elaborate on each …

5.1 Governance

The image below offers a highlight.

For more, read Governance in China: Past, Present, and Future.

5.2 The Chinese people

The Chinese people are remarkably well-educated, for the first nine years in school at least. The CPC (Communist Party of China) deserves credit for this. In hindsight, even the education I received through high school throughout the Cultural Revolution was not so bad, especially when compared with America today.

More profoundly, the Chinese emphasize education, traditionally and culturally. For more, read Confucius on Governance.

5.3 Natural resources

China is indeed poor in natural resources (China’s Energy Dependence To Grow Despite Major Oil Discoveries), especially when compared with America. However, this can be overcome with the first two attributes discussed above. The image below is worth more than 1,000 words.

For more, read President Trump in the Real World of Three New Kingdoms.

6. More discussion

There is just too much American disinformation about China (as well as about itself)!

Three main reasons:

1. The U.S. is losing badly against China on almost all fronts of competition, from the ideology to the economy.
2. China-bashing is a bipartisan sport, with impunity.
3. A crippling American tradition of media distortion. For more, read Media Distortion: From Boston Massacre to Fox News.

Bottom line: If American politicians and the MSM could have lied so much about the 2020 election result (e.g., “Stop the Steal”), is it possible that they have been lying about China for a long time?

Below are two most prominent Western concerns of China I have specifically addressed recently and you may just click-&-read.

1. Hong Kong: A Brief Overview.
2. China’s Xinjiang: A Brief Overview.

For more on China, read Top 10 American Misconceptions about China.

7. Closing

China had her day in the sun for the first 18 centuries of our two-millennium-old calendar. Then she sank all the way to hell, with an incredible amount of human suffering and humiliation. Now, China is back. Let’s congratulate her, truly understand her, and learn from her without prejudice.

Enjoy the video below.

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