Diplomatist Magazine Diplomatist October 2019 | Page 37

SPOTLIGHT
CHINA AT 70
BY DR. SANTHOSH MATHEW *
T
he most populated country in the world, the second
largest and the strongest economic power after the US,
the biggest feather among the communist states and
the vigours performer of the twenty-fi rst century - Peoples’
Republic of China, continues to amaze thinkers and opinion
makers around the globe. China is celebrating the 70th year
of revolution. October 1, 1949, marked the birth of the second
socialist state after the erstwhile USSR. The celebration
of joy and collective memory of its past should be looked
into as to quench the thirst for knowledge and perspective.
Memories of its most celebrated leaders Mao Zedong and
Deng Xiaoping both have led the dragon to the pasture they
found fi t. Leading the mainland into victory through the long
march started in 1929 Mao had emerged to be the paramount
leader of the new state.
Tiananmen, a very popular and pivotal place in the capital
city of Beijing. The world has just witnessed the remembrance
of thirty years old protests led by the University students in
1989, commonly known as the Tiananmen Square protests.
The protestors demanded transparency, improved economic
progress and more freedom, democracy, the protest was
suppressed brutally through martial law. Communist China
continues to chop the hands that ever questioned its power or
legitimacy. Never let anybody know anything- iron curtain-
the policy kept ever since Mao’s period.
The lack of adequate transparency in governance and
single-party rule have always been the Chinese trait of dealing
issues, never let anybody be free of doubt was the concern
that it imposed over to the regional commons through all of
its stringent policies and off ers of economic assistance. So, in
essence, you get nothing but what the government wants you
to know, the path presently most populist leaders are treading
in these times. The powers vested upon the leader of the state
is extraordinary, Chairman of the Communist Party of China,
Chairman of the Central Military Commission and Chairman
of the People’s Republic of China if all these becomes only
one that gives him control over everything and makes him
the paramount leader. Xi Jinping in all means the supreme
leader of China since 2012.
The period of revolution gave the lie to new china with
increased concerns requiring immediate priorities. Mao
has taken good care and supported China from 1949 to
1976. However, in his last days as the ruler, he was much
criticized for much of his decisions and policies. The Great
Leap Forward policy upheld by Mao, in fact, took China
back and weakened the dragon’s economy’s strength and
weakening it further. Decisions to let the university faculties
and professors to resign and get back to their paddy fi elds
attracted much criticism and was laughed at. The cultural
revolution stage from 1966-76 to have reduced the polarity
of Mao and gradually leading to the rise of Deng in the
Chinese Communist Party. Chinese growth since Deng’s rose
was magnifi cent and it is his policies from 1976 which has
taken China to economic mightiness and military strength. A
pathway to development by generating simple hopes among
the masses Deng has proved himself to be an able ruler for
China at its most crucial stage of progress. It’s nothing but his
leadership quality, administrative prudence and sublime faith
in the communist party that became a stimulus for the party
to stand behind him even after the repeated coup attempts
from the third wife of Mao and her Gang of four.
“Let the cat be black or white, it should catch the rat,”
amusing yet successfully implemented by Deng Xiaoping to
take the mainland to the road of enhanced development and
growth. He allowed FDIs, SEZs to function within China to
generate its economic power so the dragon can fl ex its muscles
without getting disturbed by the nominal powers it has around
it. In 1971 PRC was recognized by the US, accepting China’s
‘One China Policy’. Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger two
prominent policy infl uencers of their times the head of the
state and the secretary of the state respectively. In the cold
war political condition, the growth of China supported by
American allies and aides helped to create a counter socialist
nation-state in the east which, in all its full meaning, was
on the way to economic supremacy and in supporting of
neo-liberal world order, accepting United Nations Security
Council permanent membership.
The prevailing political circumstances of the world was
not welcoming the dawn of a new communist state, a time
when it is most expected but last encouraged. It was none
other than India, under Prime Minister Nehru, to recognise
the PRC as a communist state, though being a non-communist
state itself. 
*Author is an Assistant Professor, Centre For South Asian
Studies, Pondicherry Central University, India
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 10 • October 2019, Noida • 37