China’s Rise to Power

By: Tuffy Fields

In the early 1950s America and the United
Nations went to the aid of South Korea. This
war, the Korean War, had am added participant
as China went to the aid of North Korea and
America fought the soldiers of the Peoples Republic
of China. Ten years later China
sent their forces to Biet Nam and again
fought our noble country with the intent
to Communist domination. Then
in 1972 the world breathed a sigh of relief
as America opened diplomatic and
economic relations with China.
President Richard Nixon visited the
People’s Republic of China from February
21–28, 1972, becoming the first sitting
U.S. president to visit Communist
China. The trip marked a major turning point in
international relations after more than two decades
of little to no official contact between the
two countries.
Some key points:
Nixon arrived in Beijing on February 21, 1972
and met with Chinese leader Mao Zedong and
Premier Zhou Enlai.
The visit helped begin the process of normalizing
relations between the United States and
China after 23 years of hostility.
It also changed the dynamics of the Cold War
by bringing the U.S. and China closer together
while both were wary of the Soviet Union.
Full diplomatic relations between the United
States and China were established later, in 1979.
China’s rise to power is one of the most significant
developments in modern world history.
Over the past four decades, China has transformed
from a relatively poor and isolated country
into one of the world’s most influential economic,
political, and military powers. Through
economic reforms, globalization, technological
advancement, and strategic foreign policies,
China has reshaped the global balance of power
and become a major competitor to the United
States.