Sino-Soviet Split, 1959
- USA realized they could not work with China after their invasion of Tibet and support for North Korea
- The former allies split ways in 1959
- Reasons for this:
- Krushchev’s Peaceful coexistence idea (Chinese felt they were getting closer to the USA)
- Soviet intention to treat China as another satellite
- Lack of Soviet help during the Korean War
- 4,000 border skirmishes
- Open fighting between 1964-69 on the Ussuri River
- 1964 Chinese get A-bomb and 1968 an N-bomb
Cultural Revolution 1966
- All Mao’s idea
- Wanted to have a ‘pure’ form of Communism
- Red Guards began openly criticizing the gov’t officials
- Some people were upset about the following and were seen as targets:
- Those who wanted to return to capitalism
- ‘Specialists’ - anyone who did not do manual labour were forced to work
- Anyone who disobeyed “Little Red Book”
- The Red Guard got so violent that the PLA had to restore order the Revolution ended by 1969
Zhou En-Lai
- Became Prime Minister in 1958 (Mao’s second in command)
- Avoided disaster of the Cultural Revolution by ordering the PLA to put down Red Guard
- Under him “Going down” (getting your hands dirty) became a common part of Chinese life
- ‘Barefoot Doctors’ travelled the countryside bringing medicine and reporting on the status of the health
Ping Pong Diplomacy
- USA recognized the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the true China until the 1970s
- Taiwan one of the 5 permanent seats on the UN security council
- Diplomacy began between USA and China after the US ping pong team visited in 1971
- 1971 People’s Republic took the seat on the UN security council
- USA still supported Taiwan’s bid for independence
- 1972 Richard Nixon visited China to begin trade negotiations