Xin Jian Photos

Background: For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world especially in the arts and sciences, however, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, as western countries industrialised, China was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Communists under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people, not least with the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. After 1978, Mao’s successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled and continues to grow steadily. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically and the room for personal choice has expanded, though there is a growing disparity between the rich and poor. Political controls remain tight in China.



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