The Rise of China in the Historical Context

Abstract

To understand the rise of China in the current era, it is important to understand its rise in the historical context, especially, its political, economic, and military history. The article takes the Qing dynasty as a starting point for its study because of its significance as one of the most advanced dynasties in the history of China and because the Qing dynasty represents the larger China of the current era. The internal weaknesses of China led to the incursion of the western powers that ultimately led to the Opium War of 1840, which resulted in an increase in the western sphere of influence in China. China considers it a century of humiliation. The establishment of the Republic of China in 1911 and the CCP revolution of 1949 depict that China wants a complete hold over its territory with no external influence in its domestic affairs. Furthermore, the reforms made by Mao, Deng, and Xi have had an impact on the rise of China. Do all these reforms made in the post-Mao era manifest Chinese expansionist designs as perceived by the western powers and the neighboring countries? The article is of the view that China’s domestic problems would make it less possible for to challenge major powers and neighboring countries. The article is descriptive while enlightening the Chinese research students that current Chinese international relations behavior has its roots in the past.