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China - brief history

For many, many centuries China was the world's leading civilisation, easily outpacing the rest of the world in both the arts and in science.  During the 19th and early 20th centuries, China was troubled by ongoing civil unrest, massive areas of famine, large military defeats and foreign occupation.  After World War II Communists under Chairman Mao Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, whilst ensuring China's sovereignty, served to impose strict controls over the life of ordinary Chinese people, and ultimately cost the lives of many millions of people.  After 1978 his successor Deng Xiaoping and other likeminded Chinese leaders began to focus on market-oriented economic development until in 2000 China's output had literally quadrupled.  For much of China's population their living standards have much improved and significant progress is being made towards the ultimate objective of personal choice and freedom.

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