With China’s economy predicted to overtake the Unites States’ by 2028, with their continuous demonstration of military and economic might and with their incessant and flagrant breaking of international law, understanding today’s China and how they got where they are, is essential for containing them in the future. In this article, we will look at the leaders who shaped China after the 1949 Communist Revolution and their key economic policies.

Mao Zedong

Communist rating - 10/10

Born in the Hunan province of China in 1893 as the son of a wealthy farmer and grain dealer; after becoming dissatisfied with the nationalist movement he had joined in the 1910s, in 1921 he became one of the founding members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). However, his early years in the party were not easy due to the conviction of some of his communist colleagues who favoured the idea of just plainly copying the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, contrary to his view that revolution would come from the peasants, not the urban workers. Yet, in 1935 Mao took control of CCP and despite a civil war and a war with Japan, throughout the 1930s and into WW2 his forces continually attacked the Chinese government; eventually being victorious in 1949. Chairman Mao’s tenure-ship was defined by several key economic strategies, the five-year plan, the great leap forward and the cultural revolution.

The First Five-Year Plan

Following the Korean War, 1950 to 1953, Mao and the CCP decided to prioritise economic development. The First Five Year Plan (based off Stalin’s) ran from 1953 to 1957 and it set purposeful goals for industries deemed crucial by the CCP; it was partially bankrolled by the Soviet Union who provided a loan of £225 million and the assistance of several thousand engineers, scientists, technicians, and planners. The plan was successful with vast increases in industrial production (national income grew 9% per annum), life expectancy (36-57 years), city housing standards, and urban incomes (40%). However, there were several key costs. Grain production struggled to keep up with population growth, state control increased to such an extent that by 1956 roughly two-thirds of industrial enterprises were state-owned (with the remainder jointly owned) and state influence over citizens increased due to the tight arrangement of urban Chinese in workgroups. Even so, the overall success led to Mao’s initiation of the Great Leap Forward in 1958.

The Great Leap Forward

Also known as the second five-year plan and stretching from 1958-1962, it was an extension and expansion of the goals set out in the previous plan, with a specific focus on the collectivisation of peasant households into large communes to increase grain production and to provide a good to export. However, this plan was a complete disaster. By 1962, the output of light industry had fallen by 35%, heavy industry by 65% and coal from 230m tons to 180m tons. Many peasants had also been forced to install home-made furnaces in their back-gardens (instead of tending to the crops) yet the steel produced here was unusable and so was buried, in addition, peasants had used their pots and tools (to meet production targets) as well as cutting down swathes of the landscape. Anyone who tried to speak out about the problems occurring or just continue with the old ways was called a ‘rightist’ and incarcerated in a prison camp. So, to disguise this impending crisis each sheepish official in the chain hugely inflated the amount of grain produced, resulting in an unseemly proportion of what was being produced being exported. So, after a few small droughts occurred between 1959 and 1961, the camel’s back broke and a great famine emerged in which an estimated 30-40m people died. This plan was an utter catastrophe, with negligence at every stage of bureaucracy, but with the overall responsibility lying squarely at Mao’s feet.

The Cultural Revolution

The Cultural Revolution was launched in China in 1966 by Chairman Mao to reassert his authority over the Chinese government after the cataclysmic failings of the ‘Great Leap Forward.’ Mao had begun to feel that the CCP leadership was going in the wrong direction and so, called on the nation’s youth to purge the ‘impure’ elements of society and to refresh the country’s revolutionary zeal. CCP leaders were removed from power, groups of students calling themselves the ‘Red Guard’ battled for control, and so by September 1967, many cities were in turmoil. This state of events led to the army being deployed to restore order, pushing the ‘Red Guard’ into rural areas. During this chaos industrial production for 1968 fell 12% lower than that for 1966 and around 1.5m people died with millions more imprisoned or beaten. Once again Mao’s incompetence led to suffering and death on an enormous scale and thankfully this was his last major economic policy before his death in 1976.

Hua Guofeng

Communist rating - 9/10

Guofeng joined the CCP in 1936, became Vice Governor of Hunan in 1958 and was a strong supporter of Mao throughout the ‘Great Leap Forward’ and the ‘Cultural Revolution.’ By late 1970 he had become the Governor of Hunan and in 1971 was appointed as a member to the state council (a cabinet that is responsible for implementing party policy on a national and local level). His rapid rise to power then continued with his instalment as a member of the Politburo in 1973 and after, Vice Premier in 1975. Throughout all this, he continued to be an avid supporter of Mao, an alliance that would lead him to be named successor while Mao was in his death bed. His appointment was seen as an uneasy compromise between the far left of the already very left CCP ‘Gang of Four’(a group consisting of Mao’s wife and three of her political allies) and a more moderate alliance led by Deng Xiaoping (an incredibly powerful figure who had been purged just before Mao’s death). Soon after his appointment as party leader, Guofeng arrested the ‘Gang of Four’ and rehabilitated Xiaoping, restoring him to his former position. Yet, in 1980 Guofeng resigned the premiership and in 1983 was replaced as party chairman. Throughout his time in charge, Hua Guofeng’s economic policies remained the same as Mao’s, and so it is not much of a surprise his term as a leader is hardly remembered.

Hu Yaobang

Communist Rating - 6/10

Hu Yaobang was a prominent member of the Chinese Communist Party. Among his successes, he was very controversial within the CCP, due to his liberal opinions-this sometimes annoyed some Chinese leaders (especially Mao). He was born into a poor; illiterate family and he did not receive much formal education. However, overcoming this, he taught himself how to read and joined a rebellion at 12. 2 years later, he left to join the CCP. After becoming an official member, he supported Mao Zedong in factional struggles against Bolsheviks.  During the Long March, where the Chinese Red Army where being chased by the Nationalist Party, Hu supported Mao vigorously. The Long March led Mao to rise to power and his communist friends became leaders. He faced many battles during the revolution and helped lead the CCP forces to greatness.

But Hu is known for his political ideologies in the later years. Many people were angered in a trip to Inner Mongolia, where Hu suggested that they should use knives and forks instead of the traditional way. He also believed that Mao’s policies for the future of china were futile, when asked which of Mao’s policies he thought was right he said, ‘I think, none”. Another bold statement was to start wearing a western modern suit rather than the Mao Suit. Even though he wasn’t sure whether he should leave Marxism, he declared “Communism can’t solve all of mankind’s problems”. In 1984, he also tried to help amend Chinese Japanese relations, but was severely criticised for it. Especially after letting his daughter publicly escort the Japanese Prime Minister’s son around China. A modern Romeo and Juliet.  In the winter of 1986, a protest for the liberalisation of the economy and people erupted. Hu was ordered to dismiss it; however, he did not obey. This led to him being forcefully dismissed. Hu’s death in 1987 lead to public mourning. He was a hero for many students, and his death caused 500,000 to march on Tiananmen Square. These protests escalated to the infamous 1989 Tiananmen protests. Hu’s effects are still seen to this day through statues and ideologies. He was a hero to liberals but an enemy to communists.

Zhao Ziyang

Communist Rating - 7/10

Zhao Ziyang (originally called Zhao Xiuye) was born (17th October 1919) to a wealthy landlord in Henan province, however his father was killed by Communist Party members due to land reforms. However, unlike Batman, he chose to join the CCP rather than take up a lifelong vengeance. In 1932 he joined the Young Communist League and became a full member in 1938. Zhao’s spotlight was during Mao’s Great Leap Forward, where he created an artificial famine and then blamed the rich peasants for being greedy. Zhao’s fate in Mao lead him to wrongfully torture peasants to find their imaginary food sources. Zhao was responsible for the death of millions, a heavy weight on his shoulder.

After this, he realised what he did and learnt from it. He started supporting more moderate policies. He wanted to dismantle the People’s commune system, where local peasants lived and forced to work. His methods were so good, they were replicated across China. Furthermore, Zhao purged the corrupt and those who supported the Nationalist Party. However, due to his ‘moderate’ position, it led to him being attacked by the Red Guard during the cultural revolution.

His more liberal ideas lead to him going in political exile, but in 1971 his rehabilitation began and in the next 4 years, he rose to join the Central Committee, and Party Secretary of Sichuan- the highest in that region. Even though he tried to be a Maoist once again, his ‘morals’ just didn’t accept it. Later he became a ‘principal architect’ of pro-market changes. When he became Party Secretary of Sichuan, the most populous province was in an awful state. So awful that people were selling their daughters for food. Zhao had to fix the effect of the Great Leap Forward. He did this by introducing new market reforms that led to an increase of industrial production by 81% and agricultural by 25%. The paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping labelled the ‘Sichuan Experience’ as the model for Chinese Economic Reform.

Tiananmen Square was Zhao’s true test of morals, would he give in to the brutal Li Peng’s ideals or follow Hu Yaobang’s way and support the protests. Originally, he treated them with sympathy. However, on the 26th of April he had to go to North Korea, and the conniving Li Peng filled Deng’s mind with anti-protest sentiment. After being ordered, Zhao rejected to crush the protests and Deng illegally declared Martial Law. On the 19th of May, Zhao made a ground breaking speech to the students. This speech is famous for being sympathetic towards the students and some students burst into tears. Zhao was widely criticised by the Chinese media, Zhao loyalists were dismissed, mentioning his name was banned in the press. He was put on house arrest and under tight supervision. He died in February 2004, by a pneumonia attack. Though many people say it was covered up. Zhao had controversy all around him all his life, but in the end, some say he did the right thing.

Jiang Zemin

Communist Rating - /10

Jiang Zemin had taken the position of General Secretary, in 1989, after the famous Tiananmen protests. He brought in Economic Reforms such as the ‘Socialism with Chinese Characteristics’ and the ‘reform and opening up’. These would get reduce state ownership and increase privatisation and more importantly foreign investment. Under his leadership there was increased economic growth and prosperity. China also stole Hong Kong from the UK as well as taking back Macau from Portugal. After a boosting China’s economy, improving foreign relation and stealing land, Zemin relinquished all leadership roles. He died at the old age of 94, the longest living Paramount leader.

Hu Jintao

Communist Rating - 8/10

Hu Jintao became the General Secretary in 2002 and worked his way up to Paramount Leader. This man was a lot more conservative and pro-state than Zemin. He reintroduced state control in some areas of the economy and was not liberal with political and social reforms. However, he presented a decade of sustained and stable economic growth which helped cement China’s position in the podium of superpowers. Hu would crack down on protests and stop opponents. His modest and humble leadership style made him an inspiring figure for many people, and he is still considered one of the better leaders of China. Even though he hated freedom.

From the radicalism of Mao to Zhao’s more liberal approach, China’s leadership has defined and shaped the country in their image.