Why did China “stand up? To whom did China stand up?”
Mao Zedong remarked that “the Chinese, who comprise one quarter of humanity, have begun to stand up.” By 1949, in the establishment of the People’s Republic, China had “stood up.” Why did China “stand up? To whom did China stand up?”
Mao Zedong remarked that “the Chinese, who comprise one quarter of humanity, have begun to stand up.” By 1949, in the establishment of the People’s Republic, China had “stood up.” Why did China “stand up? To whom did China stand up?”
1 Answer
China had had an unpleasant Century or so before this (1949). The Communists Revolution had changed China's status in the world. "The Chinese have stood up."
Explanation:
China's History from the Opium Wars (about 1840) to 1949 was a constant series of defeats, forced trade agreements and humiliating Peace treaties. China was figuratively on her knees for much of this time. China's territory was divided among foreign powers, her riches were taken in "unequal" trade agreements and her people were exploited and often left destitute. In 1949 Mao is reported to have said "The Chinese have stood up.". This is disputed but widely reported.
By uniting China under Communist rule and expelling the foreign powers China was no longer subjugated. China could be said to have figuratively stood up.
