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China 's Growth And Its Impact On The United States

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For the past century, Chinese society has felt a compulsive desire to develop at breakneck speeds. In pursuing development, China’s primary goal has been to display its sophistication to the world, rather than to directly aid the welfare of its citizens. Following this hierarchy of objectives, China has continued to relentlessly modernize despite enormous negative consequences; the development powered through famine during the Great Leap Forward, violence during the Cultural Revolution, and economic dislocation during liberalization, accepting negative consequences as bearable burdens on the path to global renown. Ignoring these issues, China has proven itself more responsive to international views of modernity than to immediate national …show more content…

Physical calls for a solution accompanied Lu Xun’s literary complaint. Students took to the streets during the May 4th movement, a popular effort to right the course of Chinese society. The movement was “an attempt to redefine China’s culture as a valid part of the modern world.” The protestors proposed great societal changes in order to achieve modernization, urging citizens to “attack against reactionary or irrelevant old ways,” cultivate interest in “Western art and culture,” and develop a sophisticated awareness of the achievements of Western science.” While the reform suggestions varied, they “shared a central patriotic ground: they wished for a rejuvenated, unified China.” Thus, the protestors’ requested that China to strive to fulfill Western ideals for what makes a state modern. This desire informed the next century of Chinese decision-making: More “spiritual victories” were intolerable, as the Chinese demanded that their country prove its by developing at all costs. Leaders therefore, became primarily concerned with projecting an image of

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