China's Foreign Policy Part 6, 1995-2001: Hong Kong Returns to China and China Joins the WTO

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

The Socialist Program

Politics, News

4.7 • 587 Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2021

⏱️ 64 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today's episode is the sixth in a multi-part series that takes an in-depth look at the history of China's foreign policy. In 1997, China achieves another milestone in its long struggle to unify the country and end foreign domination -- the return of the city of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty. Meanwhile, China's economic growth accelerates as the country plays a bigger and bigger role in the global economy. In 2001, this culminates with China's entry into the World Trade Organization

Brian is joined by Kenneth Hammond, a Professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University and an activist with the organization Pivot to Peace.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	The People's Republic of China survived the wave of counter-revolutions that swept through
0:07.8	the socialist camp governments in the 1980s and early 1990s, but found itself in a world dominated
0:15.7	by a sole superpower, U.S. imperialism. In these years, China was integrated into the global capitalist
0:23.9	economy as an integral part of manufacturing supply chains and experienced rapid economic growth.
0:32.5	But this arrangement was filled with contradictions, both for China's socialist system, for its government,
0:39.5	and in terms of its role in world politics.
0:43.9	We need a new system. We need a new society. We need to demand that which may have sounded
0:50.0	impossible even a few weeks ago, but is not only realizable, but an imperative necessity. The Welcome to The Real Story on The Socialist Program. I'm your host, Brian Becker.
1:23.8	If you enjoy the show, please support this independent programming by going to patreon.com
1:29.8	forward slash the socialist program and subscribing.
1:33.7	We can do this show with you, with your support, but not without it.
1:38.3	We're joined again by Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University.
1:45.4	Ken is the founding director of the Confucius Institute at New Mexico State University.
1:50.8	And he is an activist with Pivot to Peace.
1:54.4	Ken, welcome back.
1:56.1	Always glad to be here and looking forward to carrying on the conversation.
2:00.7	Yes, it's been a remarkable journey.
2:02.8	We're marching year by year, decade by decade from 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party takes power
2:10.7	after a 27-year-long civil war, proclaim the People's Republic of China,
2:21.2	unify the country, chart and announce a socialist path. And China at that time, following a visit from Mao Zetong to the Soviet Union, where he had
2:28.5	extensive discussions with Soviet officials, including Stalin. Soviet-China friendship agreement is signed.
2:36.1	China and the Soviet Union are together in the socialist camp.
	...

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