Cold War in Asia: Maoist China, US Opening, China-US-USSR Relations

Cold War in Asia: Maoist China, US Opening, China-US-USSR Relations
Students Name
University Affiliation
Course
Date
Cold War in Asia: Maoist China, US Opening, China-US-USSR Relations
Introduction
Immediately after the Second World War, nations around the world worked to either recover or benefit from the outcome of the war. Newcomers like the U.S. were more focused on now building upon their entry into the global picture, and old guards like the U.S.S.R were focused on reclaiming their position at the top. Asian nations such as China on the other hand, were laying the groundwork for long term economic and military advancement. The Cold War period highlighted a crucial time for the world, as global superpowers were jostling for a position at the top. This was in terms of both economic, military and technological prowess and in general; global dominance. The competitors at this time did not want to appear like they are left behind in all these facets of nationalism. Historical happenings of the cold war proved to impact the global superpowers in a drastic manner. It was during this period that the United States opened up to Asia and Maoist China was the reality leading to significant historical political and economic dynamics. Throughout this paper, an analysis of the course readings will be done and will provide crucial insights into the historical developments in Asia during the Cold war period.
Maoist China
The Maoist Era was the time between 1949 when Mao Zedong emerged as the founding father of modern China, and 1976 when he died. It was a transformational period for China in every aspect. The class readings shed a lot of light on the development of China from the economic backwaters to what is it today. China is a practical lesson in the fact that proper planning and effective implementation of these plans can lift any country or society from oblivion to prosperity. This was down to an ambitious and futuristic plan by Mao Zedong to turn around the sociopolitical and economic status of China. Mark Borthwick, in his book The Pacific Century gave very interesting insights into the Maoist China ideology and the impact it had on the politics of China. According to Borthwick, the communist revolution in China marked the turning point of China, and the beginning of modern history in Asia. With the development of the nation’s socioeconomic and political structure came the realization that for it to be a dominant power in Asia and by extension the world, there was need to limit the influence of the U.S.A across the region. While America was more focused on spreading a capitalist approach across Asia and the world, China was a typically communist state. These two ideologies were on a collision course.[Charles Holcombe, A History of East Asia (second edition) Cambridge University Press, 2017] [Borthwick, M. (2018). Pacific Century: The emergence of modern Pacific Asia. Routledge.]
The Maoist theory purported that the establishment of communist policies in the region ultimately would cause a drift in USA influence in the region. The establishment of the communist party in 1949 caused a shift in governance policies in the country. Throughout Mao Zedong’s governance style, mass mobilization and a fever...