David Terry

# Words: 426

“China Road” portrays the contradictions within Chinese society. Giffard has an
admiration for China that comes out through his writing. He admires China for its greatness and
its faults. Like all countries, China is one of contradictions and Gifford captures this aspect very
vividly. The people have adapted to vast changes within their society. People’s identities are
being challenged as they struggle to incorporate themselves into the modern world. The
government has relied on totalitarian policies to keep the fabric of society together.
The abrupt end of the war caused many problems for the Nationalists. At the beginning of
the Second World War, it looked like the CCP would not survive. A small group of people built
the CCP upon a very small foundation. The peasants played an integral role in the struggle. They
provided the CCP with the support they needed to gain control of China. The people who
provided the firm foundation for the Communist party also suffered greatly under the regime.
The movie "China: A Century of Revolution" portrays China’s struggle for an identity.
Adopting Communism allowed China to adopt modern aspects of Western society and provided
a route in abandoning old customs and beliefs. During Mao’s reign, the country faced revolution
and social turmoil. The Cultural Revolution turned the country upside down as people attempted
to abandon past traditions and forge a new future. The movie showed the tensions within society.
The people suffered under Mao and they hoped that the passing of Mao would lead to more
freedom. The people wanted the new leaders to open up the restrictions. Some of the changes
happened very slowly and others happened very quickly, but none of the changes happened
without pain. When Mao died the country breathed a sigh of relief. The party leadership changed
with the passing of Mao and the arrest of the Gang of Four, but the Communist party was still in
charge. There was hope that the new leaders would lead the country towards a stable path, but
they could not abandon all of the principles that got them into power. The government started to
open up and allow people to get rich, but they only allowed some people to get rich first. The
people getting rich were not the peasants; their rise out of poverty would have to wait.
The people have a deep respect for government and yet they struggle against the
totalitarian policies. China is a great experiment. The country engages in “capitalism with
Chinese characteristics”. Unique words have yet to be created to describe China.

Questions
1) Do you think that the Cultural Revolution was Mao’s mistake? Explain why or why not.
2) If you could open a business in China, would you want to do it as a foreigner investing in
China or a Chinese citizen investing? Explain why.