University of Rhode Island
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design
Tim George speaks to the class
TMD 402L Made in China- Speaker Summaries
Dr. Tim George: China transformed in the past 30 years
by Pamela Senese-Cooke
In exploration of the past thirty-years in China, Dr. Tim George used history as a tool to identify the potential future of the country. Although popularly remembered in connection with Tian’anmen Square, the post-Mao leader Deng Xiaoping is considered by Dr. George to have brought some of the greatest growth in China’s history through policies and goals and the resulting lifestyle and belief changes of the Chinese people. By assessing Deng’s role in China’s transition from dictatorship to constitutionism the question remains, how does China’s past affect its future?
An important piece of background information to the thirty-years reviewed of China’s history is its previous experience as a technologically advanced nation. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279) China had capabilities like water-powered mill looms and moveable type printing as well as fleets of ships more than four times larger than its contemporary, the Santa Maria. A following streak of misfortune kept China a relatively poor society, starting with the creation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 followed by the Korean War, disastrous policies that led to famine in the 1950s and 1960s and Mao’s cultural revolution until the 1970s.
Deng Xiaoping was known for his saying, “Doesn’t matter if a cat is white or black as long as it catches mice.” In short, his objective was to build a stronger nation and was not opposed to dismantling old policies even if it meant choosing the opinion of an expert over a “red” supporter. He structured his policies and goals along the lines of pragmatism by isolating his objectives into what is known as the Four Modernizations; 1) Agriculture, 2) Industry, 3) Science and Technology and 4) Defense. The result was an economy that quadrupled from the mid 1970s to the 1990s. An example of the economical change for the Chinese people can be seen by looking at consumer goods: in the 1970s fans and bicycles were available, in the 1980s cassette tapes, washing machines, refrigerators and VCRs became more prominent and in the 1990s, satellite TV, cellphones and online grocery delivery services became accessible.
The downside to the China’s growth is still being measured. The one-child per family policy has created a population that may not sustain its elders and pollution increased dangerously because the country couldn’t afford to produce and be environmentally conscious. The hardest to calculate outcome has yet to be fully measured, the peoples’ beliefs and the cultural implications of change. In a land where real personal income has more than tripled since the 1980s and quadrupled since the 1990s, compounded by the more than 20 million people laid off from their “iron rice bowls” (jobs with guaranteed income), it is hardly surprising that the current economic and social situation has created a new landscape filled with clubs, McDonalds and Starbucks, as well as a great spiritual void.
How does this known past impact the unknown future? The near future is seen to be a Pacific Century meaning trade across the Pacific will dominate as technology, space exploration and green movements continue to grow in China. The question remains, is democracy an American ideal that won’t translate to Asian values?