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BEIJING: When Chinese leader Mao Zedong declared in 1949 that China had stood up, the world's most populous nation was an agrarian society still trying to recover from the devastation of its civil war.
For over two decades, Maoist China tried to break away from its feudal past by putting in place communal living and land reforms. But the search for rapid development led to the catastrophic Great Leap Forward, which claimed the lives of at least 30 million people.
The Cultural Revolution that spanned ten years from 1966 to 1976 led to widespread chaos and oppression on a horrific scale. Finally, when paramount leader Deng Xiaoping took over the helm of power, he unleashed the economic forces that led to modern day China.
Foreign trade and investments were encouraged, and special economic zones and joint-ventures established. A socialism that was unique to China came with the slogan, "Getting rich is glorious".
Two decades of double-digit growth created enormous wealth for the country, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty and creating a growing middle-class.
In China's own words, its national strength had increased. The lives of its people have changed and the country's international status has steadily risen.
Along with wealth, its people – especially the young – now view things very differently from the generation before.
Zhao Liang, a software engineer, said: "In the past, information can only be obtained through schools or libraries. But now it's the information-age with access to Wikipedia, Google and blogs. These things give people more power.
"This is a globalisation process and a natural stage of progression. Our worldview has grown wider, and this is a main difference between us and our fathers' generation."
Even so, problems remain, such as regional inequality, the unequal distribution of income, environmental problems, and what many see as a lack of social justice.
"There're also problems like corruption and bureaucratism, especially in tier two or smaller cities where the problem is more severe. But with greater public awareness and rising education, these problems can be eradicated in two or three generations," added Zhao.
Given that China has one of the world's oldest civilisations, 60 years is merely a drop in the bucket in the country's long history.
However, what happens in the next 60 years in a rising and dramatically different China will have important bearing not just for its people, but also for the rest of the global community.
- CNA/so
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