China is the greatest country in human history! Three main reasons:
- China has the longest continuous civilization in human history.
- Throughout human history, great civilizations have come and gone, with one major exception: China – come, almost gone, and come again.
- China offers a real model of prosperity, without colonialism!
So, it is time for the world, especially my fellow Americans, to truly understand China, without which nobody can truly understand America, as everything is relative.
1. Overview
The image below is worth more than 1,000 words.
2. A great civilization (3000 BC–1820 AD)
China boasts to have 5,000 years of history (Chinese civilization). I will highlight it from four perspectives:
- Chinese civilization vs. Western civilization.
- Great inventions.
- A great culture.
- A great decline.
Let me elaborate on each …
2.1 Chinese civilization vs. Western civilization
Western civilization was primarily shaped by the Romans, building on top of Greek civilization. How does it compare with Chinese civilization?
Three highlights:
- Ancient Greece: China was comparable in philosophy, but far better in governance, especially in terms of social harmony, common prosperity, and built to last.
- Ancient Rome: China far outperformed Rome in almost every way.
- The fortune of the West, especially when compared with China, rose sharply after 1492, when Christopher Columbus discovered the “new” world.
For more, read: History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline.
2.2 Great inventions
One prominent symbol of China is the Great Wall. Most Americans can easily imagine the incredible feat of building it.
Did you also know that China invented many things that fundamentally changed the world (List of Chinese inventions)?
Four big examples: Compass, Gunpowder, Papermaking, and Printing.
Can you imagine our life today without them?
2.3 A great culture
One prominent figure who primarily shaped China’s culture 2,000 years ago is Confucius.
An open secret behind China’s long-enduring civilization is one written language for the past 2,000 years.
2.4 A great decline
China, together with India, had the largest economy in the world for most of the first 18 centuries of our two-millennium-old calendar. However, after 1492, Europe started expanding and ascending (again), while China basically stood still. Despite that, by 1820, China’s world share of GDP was still, according to Dambisa Moyo (How the west was lost), at an impressive 32.2%, while America’s was a paltry 1.8% and Europe’s was 26.6%.
3. China descended from heaven to hell (1820–1976)
According to Moyo,
If this wasn’t hell for China, what was?
Now, why did China fall so precipitously?
Two main reasons:
- Foreign competition.
- Self-destruction.
Let me briefly elaborate on each …
3.1 Foreign competition
The West developed both economically and militarily, while China stood still. In order to open China for “free trade”, the West waged wars against China and China lost them all, from the two Opium Wars with Britain, to the various territorial wars with Russia, and to the First Sino-Japanese War. For more, read China’s Century of Humiliation.
A poor country is a weak country, and vice versa.
3.2 Self-destruction
From 1820 to 1976, China had several revolutions, without achieving much change. She remained poor and became even more impoverished after each and every revolution.
A lot of damage was done by communism under Mao Zedong (1949-1976). While Mao deserves the blame, he should still be credited for unifying China in 1949. Without unification, there would have been no People’s Republic of China, thus no comeback!
4. China’s comeback (1978–Present)
Mao died in 1976. Then China changed from communism to “state capitalism”, thanks to one wise leader: Deng Xiaoping.
The image below offers one prominent example of China’s amazing transformation: Shanghai from an old city to a modern city.
Another example: Shenzhen from a fishing village to the “city of the future” (aka “China’s Silicon Valley”), because of its hi-tech “everything” (Why retailers everywhere should look to China).
Yet another example: China’s development of its high-speed railway network.
5. China faces huge challenges ahead
Every success comes with a price. Here are two prices the Chinese are paying for their uncanny success:
- Environmental pollution: China has become the world’s factory, with bad air and bad water.
- Aging population: Although the one-child policy ceased recently, the damage was done: China’s population will decline soon, with a severely aging population.
However, given what China went through over the past 200 years, these challenges are relatively minor. It is very likely that the Chinese will meet them over time. The key is constant improvement – keep making state capitalism better!
6. Discussion
Three key attributes behind China’s long-enduring civilization:
- Governance.
- The Chinese people.
- Natural resources.
Let me elaborate on each …
6.1 Governance
Governance is hard. Overall, China has the best theory and practice not only throughout human history, but also into the foreseeable future. The image below highlights the open secret behind China’s long-enduring civilization.
The image below is the harsh reality for the West to acknowledge and accept.
6.2 The Chinese people
The Chinese people are remarkably well-educated, for the first nine years in school at least. The CPC (Communist Party of China) deserves credit for it (China’s 9-year Compulsory Education).
More profoundly, the Chinese emphasize education, traditionally and culturally.
Because everything is relative, let’s see where America stands on education, as highlighted by the image below.
Still wondering why China’s autocracy is far better than American democracy?
Wonder not – America’s establishment dumbs down the people for votes!
6.3 Natural resources
China is indeed poor in natural resources (China’s Energy Dependence To Grow Despite Major Oil Discoveries), especially when compared with America. However, this can be overcome with the first two attributes discussed above. The image below highlights the China-Russia alliance cemented in 2014. For more, read Three New Kingdoms.
7. More discussion
There is just too much American disinformation about China! Three main reasons:
- The U.S. is losing badly against China on almost all fronts of competition, from the ideology to the economy.
- China-bashing is a bipartisan sport, with impunity.
- A crippling American tradition of media distortion.
Bottom line: If America is a pile of lies, from the real reasons behind the American Revolution to Stop the Steal (What is America, anyway?), is it possible that America has been lying about China for a long time?
Below is a list of prominent Western concerns of China I have specifically addressed in my new book (History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline):
- Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989 (Chapter 104).
- Tibet (Chapter 122).
- Taiwan (Chapter 123).
- South China Sea (Chapter 124).
- Hong Kong (Chapter 125)
- Xinjiang (Chapter 126).
8. Closing
China had her day in the sun for the first 18 centuries of our two-millennium-old calendar. Then she sank all the way to hell, with an incredible amount of human suffering and humiliation. Now, China is back. Let’s congratulate her, truly understand her, and learn from her, without prejudice.
For more on China (as well as America), read my new book: History 2.0 – China’s Comeback vs. America’s Decline!
Now, please sit back and enjoy the video below.
China has proved to be the bad neighbor, who had no success growing his Garden year after year. So, when his neighbor invites him to dinner, he notices all the beautiful delightful items he presents on his table to eat. So that tempts the neighbor to become the thief in the night, that enters your garden in the night stealing your well developed products. He smiles at you daily and even presents you with products he says comes from his garden…. but the truth being its from your well developed products from your garden. You become friendly showing your neighbor how to better his garden. But he sees all your secret growing notes in your garden facility and uses them to better his garden. As he presents his products to others in the neighborhood he lets them believe it’s his efforts of knowledge that produces such fine products. But the camera in your security systems shows what your neighbor has been doing. When you present it to him he rebels knowing he’s been caught . The other neighbors become aware of his actions but by then the thief has learned enough of the garden , he can match the once best garden grower in the neighborhood. Most don’t become the best by their own efforts for a Century to become the best in just a few years.
China didn’t become Mighty and Great on their own thoughts an efforts in these last thirty years. China became the Gardner with low and bad results growing his garden, and being deceitful becoming Mighty and Great. Just years before, in 1940-1945 the US and other Countries helped fight off the Japanese Military in China. Finally the Nuclear bomb dropped on Japan stopped the Japanese war in China. But China followed Communist rule and was distant as a neighbor to those who saved China from Japanese rule. So, who made China Great in latter years..? China but his neighbors who had Great Garden Knowledge.