East Asia [individual assignment]
East Asia
From 1945, Japan was demilitarized and democratized by the U.S. Emperor kept his place as a symbolic figurehead. The U.S. army settled a base on the island of Okinawa. Liberal Democratic Parts' (LDP) promoted economic growth. At its peak during the 1980s, Japan’s economy—the ‘tiger” of Asia—was the world’s third most productive. “Little tigers” of Taiwan (home of Chiang Kai-shek after 1949) and South Kores also prospered due to high-tech productive economies, but remained authoritarian till 1975 and the 1980s respectively. Both were anticommunist allies of the U.S. Other “little tigers” included Hong Kong (a British colony until its return to China in 1997) and Singapore.
China was turned the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 by Mao Tse-tung and followed Communism. Chiang Kai-shek and his Nationalist government ran to Taiwan. From 1953 to 1958, Mao conducted Soviet-style industrialization (heavy industries) and collectivization (collective farms), according to his first Five-Year Plan, as well as repressions. From 1958 to 1960 he implemented the Great Leap Forward – the programme on forced and rapid collectivization – killing 15 to 20 million by hunger. From 1966 to 1976, he organized the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution – large-scale repressions against political enemies. All unreliable (professors, managers, artists, party members) were persecuted and sent to concentration camps. The Cultural Revolution ended with Mao’s death in 1976. In 1978, Deng Xiaoping, having defeated Mao’s widow and her radical allies (the “Gang of Four”), rose to power. Deng allowed limited capitalism (with private trade and special economic zones free from communist regulations). At the same time, Deng maintained authoritarian control.
Questions for experts
1. What were the most significant events in the region? Why have you chosen them?
2. What factors influenced on the development of the given region?
3. What is common and different between the region and other regions and countries considered in this topic? (Before answering read about other region in the topic 12-2).