Impact of Cold War tensions on Mao’s China – People’s Republic of China: (1949-1991)
Areas of Impact Details
China’s emergence as a Communist state at a time where the relations between the Soviet Union and the USA
Foreign Policy were at its most hostile (after Berlin Blockade, and the detonation of USSR’s atomic bomb) infuenced their take
(How the CW had on foreign policy and their role in the boiling tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA. It was impossible
impacted China’s FP not to take a ‘side,’ and China had to decide which approach it wanted to take in light of the tensions between
aims, objectives, the Soviets and the Americans.
policies and key
agreements) Their foreign policy goals were to:
- Develop a strong and independent nation
- That can withstand interference from foreign powers
These goals arose from the fact that it had been exposed to confict for long periods of time (had been
continuously at war for almost 12 years, and was seeking national security)
THE MAIN IMPACT: COLD WAR TENSIONS DETERMINED THE DIRECTION AND FOCUS OF CHINA’S FP AND HENCE
THE ACTIONS IT TOOK IN RELATION TO INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS. (can be split into 3)
Stage 1: ‘Leaning to One Side’ (1949-1950)
With the victory of the CCP in the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), the USSR was the natural ally in the Cold War.
This was despite prior tensions when the Soviets supported the Nationalists previously and pushed for the
formation of a coalition government with the Communists and Nationalists. The decision, to an extent, was also
ideologically-based, as it would have been impossible for a Communist nation to ally with a Western liberal
democracy that was based around capitalism.
Evidences:
Sino-Soviet Treaty (1950): China received over US $1.3 billion from the USSR in the 1950s. They sent 10, 800
Soviet and 1,500 Eastern European technicians to China to help with their economic development form 1950-
1960. They also helped to build up China’s air and naval capabilities that were needed to attack Taiwan in
1951.
Decision to enter the Korean War (1950-1953) was an example of this policy being put to its works
**As a result of the Korean War, the US began to perceive China as a major threat to its key interests in Asia,
therefore isolating China politically.
**They imposed economic sanctions, fred support for Taiwan in the Taiwan Straits Crisis, and blocked PRC
membership in the UN.
**From here forwards, China’s foreign policy will be in retaliation towards the US.
Despite Mao’s belief that the Hungarian Uprising was caused by the relaxation of Soviet policies by
Khrushchev, he still showed his support for the Soviet action of crushing the uprising, which revealed how the
Chinese still supported the Soviets.
, Stage 2: Revolutionary self-reliance/Sino-Soviet Split (1960-69)
However, perceived revisionism and Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation after Stalin’s death (1953) led to the Sino-
Soviet split (1960). Mao took the process as an indirect attack on his way of ruling PRC, as he ruled in a way that
was similar to Stalin. Following the Sino-Soviet Split, China became the world’s leading revolutionary state. They
supported Communists in the Third World that were in the process of self-determination and decolonisation. It
was not possible for the Chinese to establish a relationship with the US, as tensions were still too high for there to
be any détente.
Evidences of establishing ties with the Third World:
Bandung Conference (1955); China attended it, and was seen as the model revolutionary state for other Third
World countries to follow
By 1980, China had given aid to more than 70 countries on fve continents.
The aid totalled US $9 billion, and in 1972 China had surpassed the USSR as a donor of economic aid, given
that China’s total GNP was only 28% that of the USSR’s.
They also sent over 22,000 technicians abroad.
Prime example: Sending aid to Vietcong in the Vietnam War
Stage 3: Triangular Diplomacy/Sino-American Détente
An increasing threat of the USSR as demonstrated in the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the release of the
Brezhnev Doctrine (stating that the USSR had the right to use military force to maintain Communism in Soviet
republics/satellite states), and the Sino-Soviet border war in 1969, China looked to improve relations with the US.
Ping-pong diplomacy: Table tennis players from China and the USA exchanged talks and made friends – a
breakthrough between the Chinese and Americans (encouraged Nixon to visit Mao)
Sino-American relations reached rapprochement in 1971-1972, when President Nixon visited Mao in Beijing
Further normalisation of relations took place following the death of Mao, and when PRC was fnally recognised
as by the UN and USA as a nation. They earned a seat in the UN in March 1979.
IN SUMMARY:
Cold War tensions made China’s foreign policy change direction twice! (USSR, Third World, USA)
Mao’s aim domestically is to transform China’s state and reassure China’s central position in the world.
Economics Economically, China needed to rebuild itself after years of fghting. China’s initial alliance with the USSR, meant
(How the CW had that its economic policies were aligned with the USSR. (e.g. encouraged industrialisation, 5-year plans)
led to economic
growth and decline, They willingly received technological assistance from the Soviet Union (until the split – look above for
and how it led to statistics)
restructuring and They also nationalised all industries and businesses, in order to show how the government was capable of
reconstruction of the handling the survival of these industries.
economy, as well as
Areas of Impact Details
China’s emergence as a Communist state at a time where the relations between the Soviet Union and the USA
Foreign Policy were at its most hostile (after Berlin Blockade, and the detonation of USSR’s atomic bomb) infuenced their take
(How the CW had on foreign policy and their role in the boiling tensions between the Soviet Union and the USA. It was impossible
impacted China’s FP not to take a ‘side,’ and China had to decide which approach it wanted to take in light of the tensions between
aims, objectives, the Soviets and the Americans.
policies and key
agreements) Their foreign policy goals were to:
- Develop a strong and independent nation
- That can withstand interference from foreign powers
These goals arose from the fact that it had been exposed to confict for long periods of time (had been
continuously at war for almost 12 years, and was seeking national security)
THE MAIN IMPACT: COLD WAR TENSIONS DETERMINED THE DIRECTION AND FOCUS OF CHINA’S FP AND HENCE
THE ACTIONS IT TOOK IN RELATION TO INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS. (can be split into 3)
Stage 1: ‘Leaning to One Side’ (1949-1950)
With the victory of the CCP in the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949), the USSR was the natural ally in the Cold War.
This was despite prior tensions when the Soviets supported the Nationalists previously and pushed for the
formation of a coalition government with the Communists and Nationalists. The decision, to an extent, was also
ideologically-based, as it would have been impossible for a Communist nation to ally with a Western liberal
democracy that was based around capitalism.
Evidences:
Sino-Soviet Treaty (1950): China received over US $1.3 billion from the USSR in the 1950s. They sent 10, 800
Soviet and 1,500 Eastern European technicians to China to help with their economic development form 1950-
1960. They also helped to build up China’s air and naval capabilities that were needed to attack Taiwan in
1951.
Decision to enter the Korean War (1950-1953) was an example of this policy being put to its works
**As a result of the Korean War, the US began to perceive China as a major threat to its key interests in Asia,
therefore isolating China politically.
**They imposed economic sanctions, fred support for Taiwan in the Taiwan Straits Crisis, and blocked PRC
membership in the UN.
**From here forwards, China’s foreign policy will be in retaliation towards the US.
Despite Mao’s belief that the Hungarian Uprising was caused by the relaxation of Soviet policies by
Khrushchev, he still showed his support for the Soviet action of crushing the uprising, which revealed how the
Chinese still supported the Soviets.
, Stage 2: Revolutionary self-reliance/Sino-Soviet Split (1960-69)
However, perceived revisionism and Khrushchev’s de-Stalinisation after Stalin’s death (1953) led to the Sino-
Soviet split (1960). Mao took the process as an indirect attack on his way of ruling PRC, as he ruled in a way that
was similar to Stalin. Following the Sino-Soviet Split, China became the world’s leading revolutionary state. They
supported Communists in the Third World that were in the process of self-determination and decolonisation. It
was not possible for the Chinese to establish a relationship with the US, as tensions were still too high for there to
be any détente.
Evidences of establishing ties with the Third World:
Bandung Conference (1955); China attended it, and was seen as the model revolutionary state for other Third
World countries to follow
By 1980, China had given aid to more than 70 countries on fve continents.
The aid totalled US $9 billion, and in 1972 China had surpassed the USSR as a donor of economic aid, given
that China’s total GNP was only 28% that of the USSR’s.
They also sent over 22,000 technicians abroad.
Prime example: Sending aid to Vietcong in the Vietnam War
Stage 3: Triangular Diplomacy/Sino-American Détente
An increasing threat of the USSR as demonstrated in the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the release of the
Brezhnev Doctrine (stating that the USSR had the right to use military force to maintain Communism in Soviet
republics/satellite states), and the Sino-Soviet border war in 1969, China looked to improve relations with the US.
Ping-pong diplomacy: Table tennis players from China and the USA exchanged talks and made friends – a
breakthrough between the Chinese and Americans (encouraged Nixon to visit Mao)
Sino-American relations reached rapprochement in 1971-1972, when President Nixon visited Mao in Beijing
Further normalisation of relations took place following the death of Mao, and when PRC was fnally recognised
as by the UN and USA as a nation. They earned a seat in the UN in March 1979.
IN SUMMARY:
Cold War tensions made China’s foreign policy change direction twice! (USSR, Third World, USA)
Mao’s aim domestically is to transform China’s state and reassure China’s central position in the world.
Economics Economically, China needed to rebuild itself after years of fghting. China’s initial alliance with the USSR, meant
(How the CW had that its economic policies were aligned with the USSR. (e.g. encouraged industrialisation, 5-year plans)
led to economic
growth and decline, They willingly received technological assistance from the Soviet Union (until the split – look above for
and how it led to statistics)
restructuring and They also nationalised all industries and businesses, in order to show how the government was capable of
reconstruction of the handling the survival of these industries.
economy, as well as
