History of economic and demographic development of the Chinese northeastern province of Liaoning (1954–1978)

Abstract

Importance. Studying the Chinese province of Liaoning’s economic and demographic development history allows us to trace the origin of current problems related to the migration of the Chinese population to the eastern and south-eastern provinces and the decline in the birth rate throughout China. The economic and demographic development of Liaoning Province after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 until the start of the “reform and opening up” policy in 1978, was characterized by the processes of economic development and the formation of industrial infrastructure. The research aims to examine the history of the economic and demographic development of Liaoning Province in the context of the formation and functioning of northeast China's industrial base from 1954 to 1978.Materials and Methods. The study uses materials from the population censuses of the People’s Republic of China for 1953, 1964; five-year plans (1953–1957, 1958–1962, 1966–1970, 1971–1975, 1976–1980); statistical collection on the industrial development of Chinese provinces from 1949 to 1989; statistical collections of Liaoning Province. The main research methods in preparing the study were historical-genetic and statistical.Results and Discussion. In the process of reviewing the history of economic and demographic development of Liaoning Province from 1954 to 1978. several stages are identified: 1. 1953–1957 – economic and demographic development of Liaoning province during the implementation of the first five-year plan; 2. 1958–1966 – development in difficult conditions of industrial transformations; 3. 1966–1978 – development during the years of the “Cultural Revolution” and the transition to the policy of “reform and opening up”.Conclusion. The formation of Liaoning as an important industrial base of China from 1953 to 1957. had an impact on strengthening the economic potential of the province and the growth of its population due to the migration influx of young qualified personnel from all over China to Liaoning. The unprecedented growth of steel enterprises, as well as three years of natural disasters (1959, 1960, 1961) were reflected in a decline in the birth rate and a decrease in the natural increase in the population of Liaoning Province in 1958–1966. During the Cultural Revolution, the development of Liaoning was accompanied by a decrease in the share of the metallurgical industry and an increase in mechanical engineering. The pace of technological industrial renewal slows down, and the number of skilled workers arriving in Liaoning declined. These processes and the introduction of family planning policies in China were reflected in a decrease in the birth rate and natural population growth in the province.