52. Discuss the process known as the "Four Modernizations" and how the attitude of the Chinese leaders in this area contrasted with response to rise of democratic protests.
After Mao Zedong died in 1976, a power struggle followed that pitted the Gang of Four, which was a group of politicians led by Mao’s widow, against a group led by Deng Xiaoping. Since Deng took a more practical approach to solving China’s problems than Mao, most people sided with him because they were tired of death and disorder. In his mission to make China productive, he started a program called the Four Modernizations. This program’s goals were to improve agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense as quickly as possible. To accomplish this, Deng was open to any ideas. The first step he took was to repair the damage done to farm production during the Great Leap Forward. He established the contract responsibility system in place of the communes. Under this system, the government rented land to individual farm families and each family then decided for themselves what to produce. The families contracted with the government simply to provide a certain amount of crops at a set price. Once they fulfilled the contract, they were free to sell any extra crops at markets. This increased the farmers’ production by about 8 percent more each year than they had the previous year.
This is what I have so far, I'm not sure if it's enough. But I can't find any more information.
This looks good, Y. Check these sites for more details.
http://countrystudies.us/china/30.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Modernizations
You have provided a good start to discussing the Four Modernizations in China. Let's further explore this topic.
The Four Modernizations was a set of economic and technological goals implemented by Deng Xiaoping, the leader of China after Mao Zedong's death. The four areas targeted for modernization were agriculture, industry, science and technology, and defense. The objective was to rapidly advance China's development in these areas and bring the country closer to the level of industrialized nations.
To improve agriculture, Deng introduced the contract responsibility system to replace the collective farming system of the communes. Under this new system, families were given control over plots of land and were allowed to decide what to produce. The government would provide a set price for a certain amount of crops, and any surplus produced could be sold for profit in markets. This change incentivized farmers to increase their productivity, resulting in a significant rise in agricultural output.
In terms of industry, Deng encouraged foreign investment and implemented market-oriented reforms. Special economic zones were established where foreign companies could set up factories and enjoy favorable conditions such as tax incentives and fewer regulations. These measures aimed to attract foreign capital and expertise to improve industrial output and technology transfer.
Regarding science and technology, Deng advocated for modernization through increased investment in research and development. He sought to strengthen technical education and facilitate the import of foreign technology to bridge the technological gap between China and more developed countries.
In the area of defense, the goal was to modernize China's military capabilities. The Chinese government invested heavily in research, development, and production of advanced weapons and military technology. It aimed to build a strong and modern defense force that could protect China's interests.
Contrasting with the response to democratic protests, the Chinese leaders' attitude toward the Four Modernizations was pragmatic and aimed at improving China's economic and technological capabilities. They welcomed ideas and initiatives both from within China and from abroad to achieve rapid development. However, when it came to democratic protests, particularly exemplified by the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989, the Chinese government responded with a harsh crackdown. They viewed such protests as a threat to social stability and the leadership of the Communist Party, and therefore, they adopted a more repressive approach to suppress dissent.
To gather more information on this topic, you can explore other reliable sources such as books, academic journals, or reputable websites that specialize in Chinese history or political science.